A bit of a tidy up in the Auklandii Garden – a few dead things and a bit of pruning.

First flower out on Rhododendron ririei. Again this is a little later than in recent years.

2019 – CHW
The first Michelia doltsopa is now showing colour: The first flowers have appeared on large plants which were planted out in 2010 when they were about four to five years old anyway. Frost is forecast for next week so this may be the last we see of them.

2018 – CHW
Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Aureomarginatus’ is making a nice show amid the showers. Not a bad ornamental plant for a dark corner. Here it is being enveloped by a podocarpus.

This oak limb quickly cut up and sorted after the gales.

The moors (water meadows) are heavily flooded today. The pampas grass on the islands in the lake seems to be floating on the (invisible) islands. Cock pheasants fight each other amid seagulls, ducks and oyster catchers. The swans are up in the water meadows with 200 or so gulls including a few horrid black-backed gulls. Clearly resting inland after the many recent gales. A pity I do not have a lens for taking better distance photos. With no more rain the flood will quickly subside when the tide is out.

2016 – CHW
The unusual New Zealand Fuchsia exorticatica is more or less full out with its odd and rather hidden green and purple flowers protruding from the stems. A spring flowerer normally.