RAINBOW LORIKEETS

A rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) is a species of Australasian parrot found in Australia, eastern Indonesia (Maluku and Western New Guinea), Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. It is widespread in the Melbourne area and will happily feed in gardens with native plants.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme,
and also part of Pippa's Week That Has Been Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

FRIDAY GREENS #51 - OLD BIKE

Welcome to this meme active every Friday. The theme is "Friday Greens" and you can post images, art, photos where the predominant colour is GREEN!

GREEN is the colour between blue and yellow in the spectrum; coloured like grass or emeralds.

I appreciate your comments, and please add a link back to this page from your own Friday Greens blog post. The meme is only as successful as you make it be! Please add your own GREEN post using the Linky tool below:

PROTEAS

Protea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of South African flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: suikerbos). The genus Protea was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form at will, because proteas have such a wide variety of forms.

The Proteaceae family to which proteas belong is an ancient one. Its ancestors grew in Gondwana, 300 million years ago. Proteaceae is divided into two subfamilies: the Proteoideae, best represented in southern Africa, and the Grevilleoideae, concentrated in Australia and South America and the other smaller segments of Gondwana that are now part of eastern Asia. Africa shares only one genus with Madagascar, whereas South America and Australia share many common genera — this indicates they separated from Africa before they separated from each other.

Most proteas occur south of the Limpopo River. However, Protea kilimanjaro is found in the chaparral zone of Mount Kenya National Park. 92% of the species occur only in the Cape Floristic Region, a narrow belt of mountainous coastal land from Clanwilliam to Grahamstown, South Africa. The extraordinary richness and diversity of species characteristic of the Cape Flora is thought to be caused in part by the diverse landscape where populations can become isolated from each other and in time develop into separate species.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

FLIGHT

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme.

FRIDAY GREENS #50 - SUMMERTIME

Welcome to this meme active every Friday. The theme is "Friday Greens" and you can post images, art, photos where the predominant colour is GREEN!

GREEN is the colour between blue and yellow in the spectrum; coloured like grass or emeralds.

I appreciate your comments, and please add a link back to this page from your own Friday Greens blog post.

The meme is only as successful as you make it be! Please add your own GREEN post using the Linky tool below:

RHODODENDRON

Rhododendron 'Mrs. Murple's Purple', has large, 5 lobed, ruffled, star-shaped flowers that form a large ball truss that complements the attractive foliage and good growth habit. Each flower is a medium purple with a hint of red and fades to a white centre with a gold blotch on the upper lobe. The reverse of each flower has more of a reddish tint which helps to create a lovely contrast with the white anthers. (produced by crossing 'Purple Splendour' x 'Whitney's Purple').

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

MORNING SILHOUETTES

This is the beginning of a very hot day in Melbourne... The Summer has arrived and we are experiencing temperatures in the mid 30s. The location is the Fitzroy Gardens, close to the City centre.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme.

FRIDAY GREENS #49 - SENECIO

Welcome to this meme active every Friday. The theme is "Friday Greens" and you can post images, art, photos where the predominant colour is GREEN!

GREEN is the colour between blue and yellow in the spectrum; coloured like grass or emeralds.

Senecio serpens is a trailing evergreen ground cover with succulent, blue-green, cylindrical foliage. White flowers are produced in Summer. Useful for growing along pathways, on embankments and in rockeries. Also ideal for container planting. It prefers a full sun to partly shaded position in well drained soil, but will tolerate a range of different conditions. Drought tolerant but sensitive to frost. maintenance and water requirement once established. Prune lightly after flowering to maintain compact growing habit.

I appreciate your comments, and please add a link back to this page from your own Friday Greens blog post.

The meme is only as successful as you make it be! Please add your own GREEN post using the Linky tool below:

EAT YOUR GREENS!

Vegetables contain a range of antioxidants and other disease-fighting compounds that are very difficult to get anywhere else. Plant compounds called phytochemicals can reduce inflammation and eliminate carcinogens, while others regulate the rate at which your cells reproduce, get rid of old cells and maintain DNA. Studies have repeatedly shown that people with higher vegetable intake have:

• Lower risks of stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's disease and heart disease;
• Lower risks of certain types of cancer, eye diseases and digestive problems;
• Reduced risk of kidney stones and bone loss;
• Higher scores on cognitive tests;
• Higher antioxidant levels;
• Lower biomarkers for oxidative stress.

Also, leafy vegetables are ideal for weight management as they are typically low in calories. Green vegetables are also a major source of iron and calcium for any diet. They are a good source of minerals and vitamins (such as magnesium, vitamin C and folate), and of course, dietary fibre.

So yes, Mother was right all along. I bet Grandma also told you they were good for you! So eat them daily! Most adults should eat at least 5 serves from the vegetable group a day.

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme,
and also part of the Food Friday meme.

TUBEROUS BEGONIA

Tuberous begonias (Begonia tuberhybrida Hybrids) are among the most spectacular of all begonias but they are also the most difficult to grow. But, if you don’t mind a challenge (these plants are definitely hobbyist plants), the results can be very rewarding. Tuberous begonias are usually grown in pots, but there are also hanging basket varieties.

These come from the original South American species but tend to be much easier to grow than other forms as they require less training (they are naturally pendulous) and are more tolerant of unsatisfactory conditions (including heat and humidity). These can be used as patio or fernery plants. Plants can be grown either from seed or from tubers but in Australia are mainly grown from tubers. Planting a tuber of a named variety will guarantee that you will grow the same variety.

Begonias originated as rainforest plants in South America where they are now considered endangered in the wild. The name ‘begonia’ was given to this genus to honour Michel Begon (1638-1710), an amateur French botanist who collected begonias from Santo Domingo while stationed there with the French navy. Tuberous begonias were discovered later by an Englishman, Richard Pearce, in 1864.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.