FFF10 - PROTEA NERIIFOLIA

A bouquet of Protea neriifolia x susannae "Pink Ice" for today. Protea neriifolia is part of an ancient plant family, the Proteaceae, which had already divided into two subfamilies before the break-up of the Gondwanaland continent about 140 million years ago. Both the Proteoideae and the Grevilleoideae occur mainly in the southern hemisphere. This is the hardiest of all proteas, and well suited to low maintenance, low water use gardens. These spectacular blooms are useful in floral arrangements, fresh or dried.


Please join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and leave a comment once you have done so!

FFF9 - MAGNOLIA GRANDIFLORA

Magnolia grandiflora is an evergreen tree which grows to a height of 10m and a width of 10m, native to South-eastern N. America - North Carolina to Florida and Texas. It has a moderate growth rate. In Australia, Magnolia grandiflora will flower in December to March with the seeds ripening from March to May. The large, showy, fragrant white flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (both male and female reproductive organs) and they are pollinated by beetles.

The name magnolia was coined in recognition of Pierre Magnolia, the French Botanist (1638-1715). Magnolias are considered to be an ancient flowering plant bearing the largest individual flowers of any tree or shrub that can be cultivated in temperate climates.

Please join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below.

FFF8 - MONTBRETIA IN OUR GARDEN

Montbretias belong in the the Iridaceae family of bulbs, the Crocosmias having originated in Southern Africa. Montbretia is a hardy member of the Crocosmia group and is very easy to grow. Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora (Montbretia) is a garden hybrid of C. aurea and C. pottsii, first bred by Victor Lemoine in 1880. The variety illustrated here is ‘His Majesty’.


The orange flowers are trumpet shaped and appear alternately along the stems. The leaves are long and narrow.This is one of the few summer flowers in our garden that make a pretty display and can grow wildly. Some people call this a "wild gladiolus", but the wild gladiolus is pinkish in colour.


Please join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below.

FFF7 - PEONIES AND ORCHIDS

Peonies are quite sumptuous flowers that lend themselves to quite spectacular displays in arrangements, especially if complemented by other exotic blooms like orchids. We haven't had much success in growing peonies in our garden, but bouquets are available at florist shops, so one can enjoy them when in season.


Please join me for Flora Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below.

FFF6 - GERANIUM JOHNSON'S BLUE

Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' was the first of the brilliant blue geraniums to catch gardeners' eyes. The Royal Horticultural Society gave it the Award of Garden Merit (AGM). The blue of its flowers is hard to photograph and is always more startling when you actually see the plant. The flower stalks can grow quite tall and will droop under the weight of the blossoms. Most gardeners don't bother to stake them, since it is still an attractive plant, even with its floppy habit. The flowers should be cut back after the first bloom, to get sporadic repeat blooms. Often the whole plant can begin to look scraggly and a good shearing is needed to totally rejuvenate it. 'Johnson's Blue' geranium is drought tolerant. It blooms best in full sun, but appreciates some afternoon shade in hot, dry areas. It's very disease resistant and a magnet for bees and butterflies.


Please join me for Flora Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below.

FFF5 - HOME-GROWN FREESIAS IN A VASE

We have a flower garden in our backyard and it is a pleasure to see the arrival and departure of the seasons, each bringing with it a bounty of floral gifts. It's always a pleasure to cut some flowers from one's garden and bring them into the house. Freesias are particularly rewarding as they need little care, bloom profusely and many varieties are scented beautifully. Many of the new large-flowered cultivars come in some astounding shades.
Join me with your photos of spectacular blossoms every Floral Friday!

FFF4 - BUTTERFLY FEASTING ON LANTANA

Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both herbaceous plants and shrubs growing to 0.5–2 m (1.6–6.6 ft) tall. Their common names are shrub verbenas or lantanas. The generic name originated in Late Latin, where it refers to the unrelated Viburnum lantana. This is a Lantana camara in our garden, which this butterfly is finding particularly tempting.

FFF3 - BEE ON LAVENDER FLOWER

Italian lavender (Lavandula pedunculata) is very attractive to bees and photographing the interaction of bee and flower is always rewarding!

Please join us and share your flower photos every Friday!

FFF2 - JAPANESE WATER IRIS

Iris ensata (Japanese Water Iris) is a perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m and a width of 1m. It is vunerable to frost, so does best in milder climates. Japanese Water Iris will flower in November to January. The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by insects.

This macro shot shows the intricacy of the centre of the flower and the beautiful colours.

Please join us and share your flower photos every Friday!

WELCOME TO FLORAL FRIDAY FOTOS

"People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us." - Iris Murdoch

Welcome to this blog. Please join us and share your flower photos every Friday!

An African bush daisy (Euryops spp) at dusk.

Why don't you share some of your flower photos with us?