Happiest New Year to all of you.
I haven’t forgotten you – but there is not, at the moment, time to read all your posts, or in fact post much myself.
But this I wanted to share with you. I took these photos on New Year’s Day and haven’t had time to return. The tree has probably stopped flowering now, which is sad.
There are several of these trees growing around the perimeter of Hyde Park, but I have never seen one in full flame before. The Illawarra Flame Tree, or Kurrajong, is native to the east coast of Australia, but is grown in many places because it is a stunner. It needs water when young, but manages droughts when fully established (which is good because we’re headed straight into one). Like the jacaranda, it loses its leaves, then flowers, though recently, the flowering times have become erractic due to the changing climate, some flowering as late as April.
For me, the spectacular colour – enhanced by the bright sunlight – is almost unreal.
I first saw it as a blaze of scarlet amongst the sombre pines
& here it is – blazing in the sun, against dark green and summer blue sky, the red of already shedding flowers adding unexpected colour to the ground
Looking up through the blanches is a strange sensation – it feels like faerie, unreal
The contrast against the darker foliage in the park was astonishing:
and against the sky:
the flowers themselves are rather lovely:
but the best of it was in the sunlight playing amongst the fall of scarlet:
These 2 are my favourites:
I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos. I miss you all and look forward to catching up properly ina few months time when I have submitted my PhD.
Keira
mtlawleyshire 