Wonderful Lily.

 

Sometimes plants really excel.

Lilium Oriental -Zalmira is one of these.  Flowering  and perfume are larger and  stronger than I expected.

 Luckily I got it tied back early on when I saw where it was headed.

 I think the perfume would be too strong inside so it can be admired outside . 8 blooms on a really sturdy plant.

Pohutukawa Trees.

 This year so far some of the smaller New Zealand Christmas Trees ( Pohutukawa ) seem to be the brightest.

 This one in a neighbours driveway.

😊

 This one next door in our neighbour's garden. I can see it best from our upstairs window.

 This one can be seen from the New World Car park at Brookfield in Tauranga.

 There are also some fabulous bright Jacaranda Trees about. I haven't photographed them as I am usually driving when I see them.

High Winds.

 

 Garden damage last evening during quite gusty winds. This flowering cherry will need quite a bit of repair to be safe again.

  To save their necks I picked 4 of my lovely lime Gladioli and put them on the bench to admire.  This year they are free of thrip damage so I am pleased about that.

 Outside we have been busy over the last 2 weeks pulling out box.

 This corner flower garden which I have planted over the last 2 years had only the rhododendron behind a box hedge when we came here. Now we have pulled out the rest of that box hedge which extended around the corner.( to the left ) 

 Here it is now minus the box hedge and newly planted with Carnations , geraniums  ( I grew ) lobelia and other seedlings. The sweet peas are self sown from last summer and the daphne and dahlia I planted 2 years ago. The difference is now box plants aren't  stealing all the nutrients from the soil and I don't have to climb over the hedge to get in there and weed. The pluses are also I now have a bigger area to grow fragrant picking flowers  and  we don't have to continually trim the box hedge.  This garden area already had a concrete strip along the front.

 I now have all the garden beds I plan to have and will just maintain and enjoy them. 

 There is now just one box hedge left on the property.

 The vege garden is producing well and Grandsons enjoy finding and picking strawberries   ( lots ) and blueberries ( just a few ) when they are here.