Flower in a Paw

Kangaroo Paw flowers are a wonderful treat in summer, a 'something special' from Australia that I adore. They have a few species growing in the Australian collection at Dunedin Botanic Garden and we visited on Tues 18 January so I was able to get a few shots of different kinds. New Zealand. Click on any...

Summer Red

Pōhutukawa flowers, our New Zealand 'Christmas Tree', are sensational. Here's three different examples we came across yesterday 18 Jan, at Dunedin Botanic Garden. We also saw plenty flowering in gardens along the south coast road to Taieri Mouth, on our way home. Click on any photo to enlarge. Metrosideros excelsa At the main top carpark...

Ligularia, lavender and lilies

And a round box hedge, and box blobs and Nigel blobbing. I took these photos yesterday afternoon at Queens Park in Invercargill. All the 'L's are in the long border but the photo with Nigel in was taken on the west side of the winter gardens building. This is a cosy spot when there's a...

Out and About in Central Otago

We had a really enjoyable day in Central Otago for my birthday on 31 October 2021 (spring). These are a few of the photos we took, in various locations. New Zealand.

Christmas Mistletoe

Mistletoe flowers and leaves shone bright on Christmas Day at Black Gully Reserve, Tapanui. West Otago, New Zealand. 25 Dec 2021.

Berry Nice

Astelia berries. You've recently seen our photos of native astelias alongside ferns in the bush but the female plants' beautiful flowers become a bountiful crop of berries and they're beginning to ripen now. New Zealand. Click on any photo to enlarge. I saw these berries within an astelia at Dunsdale Reserve, Southland on 05 Jan....

Nature Details

When we take a nature walk there's so much to see although you have to keep your eyes peeled and look around with a sense of anticipation and expectation. Seek and ye shall find! Today's photos all taken by Nigel when we visited Dunsdale Reserve, Southland, New Zealand on 05 Jan 2022. Click on any...

Button Fern

Cute fern native to New Zealand and deserving of its own post, Pellaea rotundifolia. [Hasty update: or is it Cranfillia fluviatilis, syn. Blechnum fluviatile?]. Beautiful to find this growing in the bush! We found it on our walk in Dunsdale Reserve on 05 January, 2022. Southland, New Zealand. Click on any photo to enlarge. ~...

Look into the Bush

When we visited Dunsdale Reserve yesterday there were many ferns and mosses along the way, edging the path, edging the stream, and growing as ground cover on the forest floor. Very pretty, even on a dull day. Hokonui Forest, Southland, New Zealand. ~ photos by me, except for the last lovely pic taken by Nigel...

Back Country Visit

Drove 6km off Glencoe Highway through farmland and forest to Dunsdale Reserve. "A forestry road provides access to this attractive remnant of native forest, characterised by matai and kahikatea." We then walked part of the one hour return walking track into Hokonui Forest. ~05 Jan 2022. Southland, New Zealand This was an off-the-cuff exploration. I...

Liriodendron

The tulip tree is gorgeous and commonly seen down here in the south of New Zealand. I assume these in my photos are the North American species L. tulipifera. The leaves are distinctively shaped and the flowers are very pretty but easily missed. The first three photos are of a particular tree at Monte Christo...

Happy New Year! ~2022~

Happy New Year! ~2022~ In a few hours, and here's some native mistletoe flowers.