Another Garden

60 Bunnal Avenue, Winmalee

This was the third open garden we visited last weekend.  The backyard is on a steep slope with well designed garden beds filled with many interesting plants.  In the front yard was a Cercis, a Crimson forestry pansy tree, most unusual.

Some beautiful hanging baskets and potted plants on a terrace at the top of the backyard.

There was a mirror in the photinia hedge, so here I am taking
a photo of myself reflected in the mirror.

"Heatherbrae"

Last Saturday we visited "Heatherbrae" one of the open gardens in Winmalee.  I love this garden, which we have visited twice before.  It is one of the earliest homes built at "North Springwood" (now Winmalee) and is an old sandstone and timber residence with several outbuildings.  There is a promenade of Manchurian Pear trees, tall hedges, old iron gateways and fencing and wandering guineafowl creating an atmosphere of a time gone by.

Beautiful sandstone walls and interesting window awnings on the front of the house.

 This is the back of the house with an outside sandstone paved patio and vine covered pergola with table and chairs for outdoor dining.

Here is the vine covered pergola, looking like a little bit of Tuscany except for the statue of a kangaroo making it very much Australian.  There is a tinkling fountain at the back of the pergola.

The Manchurian Pear Walkway.

Open Gardens in Winmalee

Avonlea - 58 Lee Road

A large corner block with lots of interesting plants
and even some for sale.  There was also a covered 
entrance along the side of the garage where ferns
and orchids thrived in a sheltered micro
climate.

A path beckons through the archway.

Poem for the week - Daffodils by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
that floats on high o'er vales and hills,
when all at once I saw a crowd,
a host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
and twinkle on the milky way,
they stretched in never-ending line
along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
outdid the sparkling waves in glee:-
A poet could not but be gay,
in such a jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
what wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
in vacant or in pensive mood,
they flash upon that inward eye
which is the bliss of solitude,
and then my heart with pleasure fills,
and dances with the daffodils.

Daffodils at Rydal

Yesterday we went to Rydal, over the Blue Mountains to see the Daffodils and do the heritage walk.  There are thousands of daffodils in all shapes, sizes and colours of both new and old favourite varieties on display in parks, roadways and private gardens.  The day was cold and wet, but the sight of the Daffodils helped to lift our spirits.

Historic Rydal Railway Station constructed in 1869 and listed on the National Heritage Estate.  The XPT stops here, when requested.  Rydal, for a while was the terminus of the Western Line. People came by train from Sydney to Rydal then by Cobb and Co. coach to towns like Bathurst, Orange, Wellington and Forbes.

A host of golden Daffodils in Pioneer Park.  Rydal was named after a village in England's Lakes District where the poet William Wordsworth lived.  His poem "The Daffodils" has helped make these lovely flowers popular.

Up close and personal with some Daffodils at Bark Ridge on the outskirts of town along the Hampton Road which follows the ridge of the Great Dividing Range.









This lovely Daffodil Lady and her companions
were walking around the gardens and parks and
were happy to pose for photographs.

This photo taken in the garden at Rose Cottage.

Birds in my garden

 This pair of Australian King Parrots came and sat on my deck this morning.  They were very friendly and inquisitive and happy to pose for me while I took lots of photos.

 This female Australian King Parrot started nibbling on the pink flowers of my succulent growing in the trough you can see in this photo.

A little later a flock of Crimson Rosellas landed on the back lawn and this one flew up on to the fence. 

I love the colours in these native Australian birds.