Greys, Blue, Red & Yellow

From the inside of the Auckland Art Gallery.

James

Nan - 1914 - 2009

Nan, 95 well lived years.
"Before our ride to Mt Dunn, 1935."

In the garden, with Bev, talking plants and flowers.

At the Fairy Tree, Fitzroy Gardens.

At our house, tea and cake.

With her great grandson, and delight, Tom.

James & Bev

A couple of recent outfits

Just a couple of flamboyant, perhaps not particularly practical outfits we have seen recently. Above is a remarkable coat in a rather swish emporium off Lygon Street, while below is one of the competition entries at the annual flower show.

It is easy to forget how lucky we are in the visual richness we are privy to today in ways that a few centuries ago was the exclusive domain of the elite - either the rich, the educated or the aristocracy, and this restriction might be even legally enforced. The impact of religious art in a much plainer world, or the ability to wear 'what you want' without sanction is all too easily taken for granted.

James

Bottlebrush

In an earlier blog I was quite rude about roses. One of my reasons for dislike is they aren't Australian natives, and as Australia has a huge array of amazingly bright and varied native flowers, the obsession with roses by many is a pity, as it displaces interesting and rarer natives from Australian gardens. More importantly, and funnily enough, the natives are more suited to Australian conditions, generally being less demanding than the aliens.

One of the greats is the Bottlebrush, formally the Callistemon. Here we see a red Bottlebrush local to us, which is just flowering. I think it's the cultivar known as Harkness.


Notice the way the buds pop open to allow the threads to streighten.

It's a splash of colour which always gives a lift.

James