It's mid-winter here now. So far it hasn't been really cold yet - no big frosts at all! Our winter gets very colourful. About a month ago the first of the winter wattles (acacias) burst into bloom in the bush/forest. These were small trees scattered thru the forest as part of the understory and bright yellow all over with flowers. A lovely site. There are over 700 acacias varieties ranging from small trees to shrubs less than a metre tall. Then this week there is a small shrub about 2 metres tall all along the road-sides - and covered with a different shade of yellow. This is a link to a picture of a wattle tree in full bloom. http://www.austforever.com.au/flora/black_wattle.htm
Its too warm in this part of the country to get a really good display of spring bulbs - unless you 'trick' them by putting them into the refrigerator for a while!
The Creator has certainly provided beauty for all seasons down here on the earth. I like to wonder how He will put all these varieties into the perfect climate of the New Earth. May that wonderful day be soon!

Amen mikk!

by the way, I love the Australian flag! It is very beautiful.

God bless,
Wendy

I would love to live someplace where there are even flowers in the winter! You must not have such cold winters as we do here in Michigan - and it gets even colder in Canada!

------------------
The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

Mikk, I've lived through a lot of Sydney winters, and they were COLD! The nicest winters I ever experienced were in Bundaberg, Queensland. Cool, sunny days, no rain. Sometimes we'd need warmer clothing - like a long sleeved shirt! And the summers were relatively mild as well. The radio announcers used to tell us that the Encyclopaedia Brittanica had Bundaberg listed as the 7th best climate in the world, meaning very little variation in temperature, as well as a pleasant climate. Now I live in Brisbane, which isn't too bad, but the seasons are certainly more marked.
In this country there is such a diversity of climate, though. I have a friend in Adelaide, where the winters and summers are more extreme. He tells me it's a lovely day when the sun comes out, even if it's freezing. Rather like Melbourne, which I believe was a mistaken concept.
Snow is beautiful (I've never seen it, would you believe?) but I'd rather warm toes!
Winter foliage is beautiful, but the green leaves go a little greyer. A friend of mine in Missouri found it hard to believe that Australia doesn't have a "fall".

Unlike Australia, New Zealand does have a fall. The leaves make a wonderful mulch for the garden.
Right now I have one violet out, 2 pots of English snowdrops, and the winter roses, not to mention the Camelias,heathers and Polyanthus. Winter can be just as colourful if you plant in autumn, the only problem being the birds love to eat pansies and polyanthus.So I prefer to plant primula.
Zita

Midwinter I discovered that the 4 ltr plastic containers had been eaten away around the lid. They contained food for the avery. I realized that a mouse could never have reached, so there must be a rat! horrors, we had never had a rat before. Out came the bait, which was promptly eaten every day.
Then one day Allan and I were in the shed when we saw it! Allan shot out real fast, but I got a good glimpse of it. It was a very beautiful light brown colur, I wondered if it was someones pet.Behind the shed and garage we stored our winter wood in the dry, and I realized he was nesting in there.
Yesterday a found the nest as I cleared up at the end of our winter. It was a perfect ball of nesting material. Dry oak leaves and plastic sacking used. One small hole in the centre for enterance. I was so amazed at the perfectness of its home.Haven't seen it for weeks, bait hasn't been touched.
It was a shame to have to kill something so beautiful and so clever as to make a nest like that.

Having averies it attracts mice. At the moment our cat sits in front of the avery, the neighbours cat over the back sits behind, the cat nextdoor comes over too, so I am not putting any bait out, let nature take it's course.
The only trouble is, Sandy loves to get the mouse in the clump of daffodils, and there is not a leaf standing by the time he has finished with it!.

Zita

I think we have just had the final winter southerly and are now heading into spring.
Everything here is shooting or showing signs of movement. Even the birds have a different song. Spring is in the air!

Zita

Zita, I'm curious about something. You said that the birds eat the pansies. What kind of birds do you have that eat them? I have pansies here and we don't have any birds in this area that are eating them. I didn't see birds eating them when I lived in the Deep South either (where they bloom all winter long). I just wonder what kind of bird eats flowers?

------------------
Jesus is the joy of living
_________________________

Linda

A hungry vegetarian one?

Hi Linda, it's the wicked sparrows and blackbirds that go for them. I used to have a lovely colourful garden at my back door filled with pansies and polyanthus. I gave up and planted primula instead, I guess the flowers are too small to be bothered!
Even over in the rockery, I planted pansies one year, but the flowers would be completely or half demolished, and it defeated the purpose of having bright colour spots for winter! This year hasn't been so bad, as I have fed them well, my only complaint is the bird mess they leave behind in the gazabo, the table gets covered! But at least they are fed and happy and that's the main thing.
Zita