The Garden in January

Summer has not been particularly hot or dry so far this year, and as a result the garden is looking a bit more lush than normal for this time of year.

First here's a couple of critters we saw while out walking the dogs this morning:

 Later in the afternoon I wandered round the garden and took the rest of these photos. 

Waterlily:

Christmas lilies:

Daylilies:

Gladioli:

There are heaps of gladdies in lots of different colours, although they are a bit past their best now. Unfortunately we never really saw them at their best, as a couple of summer storms flattened them just as they were getting there. 

Here's a couple of things rescued from my parent's unit.

Fuchsia not quite in focus. The original plant was in their garden in the city. They took some cuttings when they moved into the retirement village. The fuchsia grew there outside one of the bedroom windows. When I was working on emptying the unit I intended taking a cutting myself, but one day I arrived and discovered that the whole thing had been ripped out! Fortunately there were a few twigs left lying on the ground, and from those salvaged twigs I now have several pots of flowering fuchsias.

This succulent was growing in the back yard of the unit:

I grabbed some bits because I knew it had nice flowers. But when I asked Mum about it later, she said she thought it had been in the unit garden when they moved in, not something they had planted. Oh well, I have a few pots of it now too.

Roses:

In the background you can see some red hot pokers, and if you know where to look, some of the gladdies of various colours.

Kangaroo paw - with gladdies in the background:

An aloe (one of several in bloom) and in the background another flowering succulent (Crassula tetragona) which is very attractive to butterflies:

 

This is Mimetes culcullatus:

 An eremophila:

The first of the dahlias:

Penstemon and salvias:

Cistus:

First cosmos flower:

Another first:

Three strelitzia plants were originally planted in our "Gondwana" bed, but they were not at all happy there. Last year they were dug up and put in pots, and moved to the outdoor living area where they are protected from frost. And one of them has rewarded us with a flower.

Buddleia showing why they are known as butterfly bushes:

 Yellow trumpet:

 

Some hebes in the back yard:

Also very popular with butterflies and other insects.

Last of all, this kookaburra who kept a close eye on me as I was taking the photos, just in case I turned up any food for it:

That's it for the garden in January!