Thanks for everyone’s lovely comments and encouragement over the past posts. I have already shown the blue Agapanthus flower life cycle and, as promised, here is the white Agapanthus flowers life cycle.
Some of the spears appear to be quite small at the start of flowering
Gradually filling out
Then a slight opening to reveal the white flower buds
Finally breaking free from the casing into the sunshine
The remnant of the casing still clinging on
The buds are so full and soon the umbrel will explode into flower
When some of the buds open, it doesn’t take long for the Stingless Native Bees to come for some pollen
An open flower makes it easy to hang on while gathering pollen
Many of the flowers have opened and other buds are waiting
The flowers are so white
Finally some of the flowers are dying while there are still lots of buds yet to open
The flower heads are almost finished leaving stalks where the flowers once were
I hope you have enjoyed the white Agapanthus flowers life story. There are some more that I am working on but they will have to wait a while until I can get organised and the flowers cooperate.
This is number eleven in my series of following flowers from buds to wilt and beyond. I discovered that I had a different blue Agapanthus flower from all of the others I have in my garden. I also have white Agapanthus flowers and that may be the next life of….
I took this photo this afternoon, it was a bit hot. They are quite different aren’t they.
Let’s start with the buds. I have a number of bud photos. I should have really thought about presentation but oh well.
All the future flowers tightly wrapped waiting to burst forth.
A trio of the dark blue flower buds
Still snug in their safety wrap
Starting to push forward and into the sunlight
Finally casting the casing aside preparing for all the florets to open – photo in the shade
Finally casting the casing aside preparing for all the florets to open – photo in the afternoon sunshine
The paler blue flowers are falling out of the bud casing
Reaching to the sky to open into the sunlight
While other buds struggle to open and flower fully
What I like about Agapanthus is how their flower buds mature at different times so there always seems that there are Agapanthus flowers in the garden. Look how many are almost ready to open and how many are still uncoloured buds.
Almost fully open. The casing is still attached to a couple of florets.
Finally free to start to become the flowers that they are meant to be
The outside florets open first while the inner buds bathe in sunlight
Gradually the whole umbrel or flower head starts to become full of open florets becoming the flower everyone knows.
Soon the umbrel will be full of open florets
The ones I have (in this series) are so different to the ones I usually know. The petals are getting paler, I think, while the stripes are becoming stronger
I have a number of clumps of Agapanthus throughout the garden. Some are smaller than others. They never seem to flower all at once as I see around town. In one clump this year, probably the best flowering year I have seen in ages, not all of the plants flowered.
Getting in close
There are lots of insects who enjoy the shelter and food the Agapanthus can supply.
These next two photos come from my archives.
An Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly getting right into the flowers
A Blue-faced Honeyeater intently getting to the bottom of the flower
Like everything on this world, the demise is always on the horizon. The mingling of buds, open flowers and withered flowers
I love the various colours as the flowers slowly deteriorate
Some of the flowers just fall to the ground while others drop only their petals.
Some flower heads don’t have many seed pods developing
While others are laden with pods
The next stage is a brown dried spindly ball. I thought I may have had an old photo but can’t find it. So this is where you use your imagination
This is my warm up guitar playing song. The Stones with one of their county best
Thank you to everyone who contributes their good and not so good photos. This year is the third year of you being brave enough to show everyone your last photo for the month. It doesn’t have to be on the very last day of the month if you didn’t take any photos. Maybe it was Christmas Day the last photo was taken. I wonder if there will be any fireworks photos?
So let’s see what you have for December 2022
The rules are simple: 1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 31st December or whenever your last photo was taken. 2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate. 3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do 4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments 5. Tag “The Last Photo”
Here’s mine. I seem to have a floral theme going on.
Subtitle: Changing Seasons – in conjunction with Ju-Lyn
I didn’t take many photos in November. I am loving the rain. The frogs have been as well. Some nights it is so loud with all the frogs having their say. The most photographed thing, because the rain has made the garden just grow, are flowers splashed throughout the garden. I am doing a garden post as it is too good not to share. I have spent a bit time in the shed so there’s a post about that on the list as well.
The days we had with sunny blue skies which were taken advantage of, so there was lots of photos to pick from for This is November. Grab your usual drink/snack that you may like to consume at this time of your day and enjoy this bit of my world.
Here is your song to scroll to….a new one for me. I hope you enjoy my discovery. Hit play and let’s get scrolling. You can always come back up and stop the music if you don’t like it.
One Saturday morning I woke very early and there was colour in the sky, so I had to try and take a few photos for Hammad’s Weekend Sky. After taking my usual photos from the usual place, I tried to see what I could get through the trees. Most were ok but didn’t show all that much of the coloured clouds. My favourite of the lot.
The cows next door to my besties were calving. I think these two may be related.
On that hill where the calves are, a Double Bared Finch was having lunch too.
It is always lovely to see an Eastern Rosella or two when out and about.
Sacred Ibis always look spectacular as the glide overhead.
On the lookout tree, a Spangled Drongo (top) and a Dollar Bird keep an eye out for some unsuspecting breakfast to be passing by.
In my besties garden, a Pheasant Coucal was calling for a few days. One morning he decided to come out in the sun.
We went away for a few days to Soldiers Point. One day we went for a walk in a nature reserve at Nelson Bay. There’s a few photos from there following as well. A pair of Corellas were checking out the hollows in the Gum Tree to make home maybe.
This made me laugh, the Darter look so serious too.
We found this lily like plant and it has the most wonderful flower. I haven’t been able to ID it yet.
I just love Red and Green Kangaroo Paw flowers which were growing along the track in the nature reserve
At a cafe having a coffee while the waiting for the rain to ease a bit, I saw Bougainvillea flowers had fallen on a table out in the rain.
That’s all from our mini holiday. Remember the last two “This is…..” I have shown the progress of the amazing Gymea Lily flower. I don’t think it will be there next time.
Here is a few from around my garden as a bit of a teaser lol. The agapanthus in the garden have never had as many flowers ever! Mostly blues but some are from plants with white flowers that I never knew their colour.
This white Agapanthus flower stalk was so tall, well over a meter.
The Crinums or Spider Lilys are flowering well this year.
I have been trying to find the right place for the Walking Iris as I love their flowers
I have a Jacaranda tree which is a bit scraggly but this year showed itself as best it could.
Scattered around the garden are Spiny-headed Mat Rush (Lomandra) plants that have long strappy leaves most of the time but they do flower
The Paperbark Trees (Melaleuca quinquenervia) are flowering and the insects and birds are loving them.
I can’t grow roses at my place. It gets too wet and the Possums and Wallabies love them too much. My besties place is ideal. Here is a selection of Roses. This is a tiny climbing variety.
Some of the flowers are amazing. I love this pink one.
Such a deep colour, it is more orange than red in real life
Some Zinnias are appearing.
This is the flower from a Bromiliad which I found in the plant rescue section of a nursery. I took three and said these be easy. He rolled his eyes. Five years later, two survived and this one has flowered for the first time.
Sometimes Thistle flowers look so good.
I always forget to take photos of the Zig-Zag plant when it flowers.
I cannot believe this Pineapple plant. It has been in the garden for as long as I can remember. Every now and then it pops out a fruit. This is the flower stage. Pineapple plants are Bromiliads.
The Day Lilys have been wonderful this year
Even the Stingless Native Bees thinks so as well.
The Variegated Duranta has been flowering since start of Spring. Now it has rained there are flowers everywhere.
There was a break in the rain. A Blue-banded Bee decided to take advantage too.
In the nature reserve we found this amazing way the Lichen has formed. What shapes or things can you see in the photo? IN the top right hand corner is a tiny fern similar to an air plant. They grow on anything organic wood, rock etc
OK Who was paying attention as I would really like to know what was your favourite photo? Did you like the music?
The Changing Seasons is a monthly project where bloggers around the world share their thoughts and feelings about the month just gone. We all approach this slightly differently — though generally with an emphasis on the photos we’ve taken during the month.
For many of us, looking back over these photos provides the structure and narrative of our post, so each month is different. Some focus on documenting the changes in a particular project — such as a garden, an art or craft project, or a photographic diary of a familiar landscape.
But in the end, it is your changing season, and you should approach it however works for you.
There are no fixed rules around post length or photo number — just a request that you respect your readers’ time and engagement.
Tags and ping-backs
Tag your photos with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them
Create a ping-back to Ju-Lyn at Touring My Backyard or this post, so that we can update it with links to all of yours.
4TheRecord is dedicated primarily to Ausmusic from all eras and most genres, we will explore the dynamics of the creative process, and reveal the great drama, lyricism, musicality, and emotion behind each classic song.
bushboys world 