JACOBEAN LILY

Sprekelia is a genus of at least three bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are native to Central America. Like Hippeastrum, these plants were known as Amaryllis. Sprekelia plants are sometimes called "Aztec lilies", although they are not true lilies. This genus is named after Johann Heinrich von Spreckelsen (1691–1764), who supplied the plants to Lorenz Heister.

Sprekelia formosissima shown here is the only species grown in Australia. It is a bulbous perennial that has clumps of strap-shaped, mid-green leaves. Each stem, about 30 cm tall, bears a solitary scarlet to deep crimson flower in late spring or early summer; established clumps may bloom again later in the summer. It grows best in partial sun and abundant moisture. Because the bulbs are tender and bloom best when crowded, container culture is probably best. Repot every 2 to 3 years. Roots resent disturbance.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

HOME

A fine old Edwardian house in Fairfield, an inner Melbourne suburb. Melbourne is full of many such houses, which unfortunately are becoming prizes for the shrewd property developers. Sitting on a sizeable block of land, enough for a decent front and back garden, this type of house is under threat of demolition and redevelopment of the land... Many such houses have been lost and in their place anything between 4-6 units have been built, overcrowding the neighbourhoods, increasing noise levels, traffic congestion, pollution and placing increasing demands on already heavily utilised infrastructure.

Let's stop and smell the roses while we still can, because not only are we losing the lovely old houses, we are also losing the gardens and green pockets of nature in the suburbs... These beautiful roses are the Hybrid Tea, Rosa 'Pink Peace'. Very fragrant and perfect for cut flowers, as well as being a vigorous and heat resistant garden favourite. Hybridised by Meilland in 1959, an oldie but a goody!

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

PAPHOS, CYPRUS

Paphos (Greek: Πάφος [Pafos]; Turkish: Baf) is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today at Kouklia, and New Paphos. The current city of Paphos lies on the Mediterranean coast, about 50 km west of Limassol (the biggest port on the island), which has an A6 highway connection. Paphos International Airport is the country’s second-largest airport. The city has a subtropical-Mediterranean climate, with the mildest temperatures on the island.

Paphos Castle (seen above) is located on the edge of Paphos harbour. It was originally built as a Byzantine fort to protect the harbour. It was then rebuilt by the Lusignans in the thirteenth century after being destroyed in the earthquake of 1222. In 1570 it was dismantled by the Venetians. After capturing the island, the Ottomans restored and strengthened it.

Throughout the ages it has seen many uses. It has served as a fortress, a prison and even a warehouse for salt during the British occupation of the island. More recently the castle serves as a backdrop to the annual open air Paphos cultural festival, which takes place in September. It was declared a listed building in 1935 and represents one of the most distinctive landmarks of the city of Paphos. Several archaeological excavations have taken place to investigate its past.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

PARKLANDS PAVILION

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

BURSWOOD PARK, PERTH

Burswood Park is a large park close to the Perth CBD adjacent to the magnificent Swan River. Citizen of the Year Lake is the tranquil centrepiece of the Park and is named in honour of Western Australia's prestigious Citizen of the Year awards, with names of recipients displayed on plaques fixed to the cobbled limestone edge of the adjoining dais. 

The Swan Fountain is a salute to the Swan River and a major landmark of the city of Perth. The stunning sculpture of Western Australian black swans majestically rising from their nest, captures the spirit and life of the State's treasured Swan River. The Swan Shell is designed to reflect the movement of a swan in flight, and its graceful structure soars above the surrounding parklands. It is a landmark for visitors and a popular venue for weddings, concerts and outdoor events, available free for public use.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,

and also part of the Photo Sunday meme,

and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme.

BLACK DOG

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

RAINY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

TREE POPPY

Romneya is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the poppy family (Papaveraceae). There are two species in genus Romneya (R. coulteri and R. trichocalyx), which was named for Irish astronomer John Thomas Romney Robinson. They are known commonly as Matilija poppies or tree poppies and are native to southern California and northern Mexico.

They are perennial subshrubs with woody stems. They may grow to a height of 2.5 meters and a width of 1 m, with the flowers up to 13 cm across. The silvery green leaves are deeply cut, with a small fringe of hairs at the margins. They are notable for their large white flowers with intense yellow centres, blooming in summer. Romneya produce the largest flowers of any members of the poppy family.

These plants prefer a warm, sunny spot and fertile soil with good water drainage. They are not easily grown but once established are difficult to remove. In the wild, they are known as "fire followers" as they can be frequently, but not exclusively, found in burned areas. Also known as "fried egg flower".

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

GIFT

And a gift for you!

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

OLD BRIDGE, GREECE

Τhe old, one-arched stone bridge of Palaeokarya was built around 1525, and has a length of 26 metres, an arc opening of 19 metres and a height from the river bed 10 metres. Behind it is a 12 metre high waterfall, with the river continuing after the bridge to a lesser waterfall 2 metres high. The river that passes through the spot is Palaeokaritis and if we continue the journey downstream we reach the gorge of Palaeokarya where there is still a functioning watermill where one can watch flour being milled.

The bridge of Palaiokarya joined Thessaly to Epirus and was a busy route at that time. Now it is in a deserted spot and is surrounded by great natural beauty. The bridge frames steep, high rocks with much low-lying vegetation and trees. A large variety of herbs and rare wildflowers grows in the area in Spring and Summer. There is also a great number of animals and birds in the forest around the old bridge.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,