As I write it is a glorious Spring day on the Surf Coast. The sun is bright and the air slightly cool with a very gentle breeze, which is something of a relief after a few days of quite strong winds.
This is a view down Spring Creek, about half a kilometre from its mouth on the Torquay surf beach. I love this area especially for the large old Moonah trees, Melaleuca lanceolata, that border the creek.
They are especially attractive to my 'ikebana eyes' for their contorted branches.
In the garden, Spring is evident with the flowering of some of the exotic plants.
This morning I was pleased to see a few early buds of the Cecile Brunner rose.
The lavender, below the Lorraine Lee rose, is making a wonderful mass and taking over a large space by the terrace. This is mostly Lavandula angustifolia. However last year, I planted a L. dentata in a bare patch in the middle. It is too small to distinguish in this photo.
Three weeks ago, the Forsythia, that Shirley gave me, looked like this.
Today most of the flowers have opened. The yellow is so vibrant against the deep green of the Asparagus fern, A. aethiopicus, behind.
Beside the golf links the flowers of the Tamarisk, Tamarix (T. Gallica in this case, I think) are also opening.
This closer view shows the soft pink of the open flower and that some of the buds have yet to open. I decided this would be a good subject for my ikebana this week.
I chose a large ikebana vessel by Graeme Wilkie for two reasons. Firstly the colour of the "copper red" glaze running over the vessel complements the blossom. Secondly the branches I cut were about a metre long and needed a solid base to support them as they cascaded forward. I have added some vibrant pink Geraniums and a single red Melaleuca, M. viminalis, to provide a strong focal point. At the back is a small spray of Banksia, B. integrifolia, to support the geranium and melaleuca flowers.
Greetings from Christopher
26th September 2021
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