Auburn Botanical Garden, Sydney
If love, it is a flower then this garden is filled with love. Keith and Jean took me to the garden as a special day out for us. Keith and I were both armed with cameras as I was ready to photograph at a moments notice the qualites of this garden. It didn't take long to find the first photo opportunity as the circle opening in the stone wall framed the white swans as they swam in the pond at the entrance.The design was perfect and as I walked thru to the other side I found myself looking at a pond with stepping stones that would lead you across the water to enable you to see the garden from many advantages. Smiling I knew I was in for a treat.
Keith and Jean, Brians parents, were so thoughtful in bringing me to this botanical garden. Both are very knowledgable on the names of plants and explaining what the different displays were, I was in very good hands as I wandered about with them. I could tell this park was a place they visit on a regular basis and it felt good to be included on this visit. I knew when I developed my pictures I'd have no problems going thru and putting names with flowers with their assistance.
This Hibiscus appears to have grown a beard but it's just the needles of a nearby pine that decided to share as it dropped needles. With the season being the centre of the summer most of the more colourful spring blossums were gone but I still found a good variety of flowers that were very pleasing to the eye as well as the nose.
I took advantage of the stepping stones in the pond to get some very nice shore shots. The balance of the trees, shrubs and walkways as the variety of greens and height transformed this bit of shore to artwork in my opinion. The peacock agreed with me as this is where he chose to pose as well.
The Lasiandra was another flower that hadn't given up it's colour and blooming as it was still budding waiting for the next flower to unfurl. The sun was getting brighter and the day was warming when we decided to make our way into the small Japanese style house for a rest. Benches for resting lined the inside walls and there were little openings that you could peek out at the island and watch the ducks and turtles.
This stink lizard decided to see what all the camera clicking was about as Keith spotted him and made certain I was aware of the lizards presence. I caught him sun bathing before he scuttled away... fortunately not in my direction.!!!So far I had seen a mix of sun and shade so every type of plant could survive in it's best lighting.
The one thing I had noticed so far at this garden that kept it different from other parks was the swans were white and not the native black swans. While the white swans were beautiful and looked peaceful and elegent, the black I think represented Australia as I came to know it as filled with the unusual. Everything here seemed peaceful. Jean and Keith were helpful as they told me different stories of the parks original design.
Here the Star of Bethlehem and the Garclenia are both in blossom. The path leads to some of the different displays I was to see. A tall Grey Eucalypt guarded the curve as we ventured back past the pool of reflection and on to the Billabong.
The sweet fragrance of the blossums mixing together were enough to stir the imagination of the best perfume designer as a garden explosion of heady scent came alive in each breath I took. Standing amongst the flora along the path I longed to see flowers in every stage from the start of their growth. From the first budding of spring when their life was just starting for the season that brought them to the mature blooms that I witnessed on this day.
The dainty floral blossum of the Grevilla were very pretty. I was amazed that such delicate looking blossums seemed so plentiful on the greenery.
There were many sections to this park as I soon learned. Winding along the paths I saw a small animal park in addition to the the many floral themed gardens. The time it took to lay out such gardens was well spent. This floral clock however was not inside the garden but rather outside and across the street at a small shoppe where we had stopped for an ice cream.
The Billabong
Looking across the water, as my camera was busy focusing on the many wonders of the billabong area, I was able to spot a duck sitting patiently on her eggs. She sat quietly waiting to feel the stir of first life beneathe her. Her instincts of motherhood strong already as the other ducks went swimming to gain food and attention from the many children and onlookers at the park this day. The protection of the unhatched life beneathe her was of foremost importance to her. I felt as though this duck was in a way representive of the protection that Australians feel for their heritage and continued growth while wanting to remain unchanged in many ways. Here I also found the Australian black swans that I was missing in the main garden area. They have a unique beauty and ruggedness that I found to be definitive of Australia. I enjoyed this day so much as we planned to try and make it back. Time didn't allow a second visit for me, but the first,as so many other firsts in this country, would be never forgotton. Thank you Keith and Jean for taking me to this magnificent park creating a memory I still cherish.
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