Winter at Mia Bella Gardens...

Oh my, how incredibly warm this winter has been!

And I am enjoying it immensely!

Not only for the fact that the arthritic bones are not so sore, 

but for the enormous amount of colour that there is...

Bromeliads... 

Even the butterfly flower 'asclepias',

and an iris,

neither of which should actually be in flower right now!

Red Bottle brush trees...

Paper whites with a delicious perfume...

Purple Hebe...

'Correa Pullchela' with pretty pink tubular flowers...

 There are camellias in fabulous colours...

Nicotiana which a flowering tobacco.

This one is the hybrid called 'Ondra's Green Mix'.

Fushias, fushias...

and more fushias...

 Begonias...

A touch of purple...

 Colourful leaves....

  Banksia Tree...

 The Gordonia tree is in full bloom...

And even a passionflower!

If nature is so kind as to let Mia Bella Gardens escape any severe frosts,

 she is going to look AMAZING come spring...

And I can't wait!

Must Have Flowers...

I have been having a wee play with photo shop...

Yesterday I came across this very famous Claude Monet quote...

So I have written it on to this lovely rose photo, 

(one of April's rejects, though I seriously cannot understand why!)

I must have flowers, always and always!

Claude Monet I totally agree...

for what is life without the beauty of flowers!

Enjoy!

Gouldian Finches...

Mia Bella Gardens aviaries have new additions...

two breeding pairs of Lady Gouldian Finches.

They are amazing colours don't you think?

The male has a gorgeous dark purple breast...

And the female has a soft lavender breast.

Don't you think those wings look angelic?
For more information on these finches visit:
http://www.efinch.com/species/gould.htm