Flower Power
One day I noticed flowers starting to bloom on the cherry trees in Hagley Park. Soon every cherry tree was ablaze in color as the flowers were in full bloom, so grabbed my camera and walked to the park to take a few images of the Spring Fling. We do live in the Garden City after all!
Cherry Blossoms along Riccarton Avenue
The day I was out taking pictures the wind started to pick up. By the following day practically all the petals had already dropped off the trees. I am glad I took some time to walk around and see the flowers in their glory.
More Cherry Blossoms
Not every tree was in bloom. Some trees had neither flowers nor leaves and provided a dramatic contrast to the vivid colors of the flowers and grass.
Stark Trees Along Hagley Avenue
Even the clouds seemed to cooperate, providing a great backdrop for the scenery.
Tree and Clouds
Daffodils planted along the perimeter of the park were also in full bloom. It reminded me of the daffodils planted near my house in Arrowbear, California. I could not believe just how many daffodils there were!
Field of Daffodils along Hagley Avenue
These flowers are large and the petals have a great texture. Most flowers were some combination of orange and gold for the petals and the center of the flower.
Outstanding In Its Field
The perimeter of Hagley Park along Hagley Avenue is quite a wide area, perhaps 100 meters. This border area separates the playing fields of Hagley Park South from the street.
Flower Palette
As it turns out, Christchurch has a fairly shallow water table. Much of the area that is today Hagley Park was originally swampland. To drain the water from the swampland ditches were dug to nearby rivers. Many of these drainage ditches are still evident in both Hagley Park and around many parts of town.
Contrasting Branches
While touring the park, looking at the scenery, I noticed this curious exoskeleton hanging from a tree. Upon closer inspection I noticed many of these. Interestingly, I only saw them hanging from the trunks and branches of certain kinds of trees and only on the north side.
Hanging Suit of Armor
When we moved from Southern California it was late Winter and when we arrived in New Zealand in late February Winter was just beginning, so this will be our first Summer down under! I look forward to seeing what Summer at 43º south latitude has in store! My mind seems to still have a Northern Hemisphere bias. I mean, here it is - mid November - and when we get late Spring storms like the wintry blast we had last night I keep thinking that it figures, since we will be heading into Winter soon - Wrong! I am having a hard time adjusting to the fact that it's Summer during Christmas time here - folks out camping, wearing short pants and short sleeved shirts.
One evening Gaby and I attended a kayaking group meeting here in Christchurch. At one point one of the guys was describing a kayaking trip to Quail Island in Lyttleton Harbour for a spot of tea for Christmas. As he described possible weather conditions to expect he said, "It probably won't snow - probably."
"The daffodils are blooming bright/
And Spring is here to my delight."
The day I was out taking pictures the wind started to pick up. By the following day practically all the petals had already dropped off the trees. I am glad I took some time to walk around and see the flowers in their glory.
Not every tree was in bloom. Some trees had neither flowers nor leaves and provided a dramatic contrast to the vivid colors of the flowers and grass.
Even the clouds seemed to cooperate, providing a great backdrop for the scenery.
Daffodils planted along the perimeter of the park were also in full bloom. It reminded me of the daffodils planted near my house in Arrowbear, California. I could not believe just how many daffodils there were!
These flowers are large and the petals have a great texture. Most flowers were some combination of orange and gold for the petals and the center of the flower.
The perimeter of Hagley Park along Hagley Avenue is quite a wide area, perhaps 100 meters. This border area separates the playing fields of Hagley Park South from the street.
As it turns out, Christchurch has a fairly shallow water table. Much of the area that is today Hagley Park was originally swampland. To drain the water from the swampland ditches were dug to nearby rivers. Many of these drainage ditches are still evident in both Hagley Park and around many parts of town.
While touring the park, looking at the scenery, I noticed this curious exoskeleton hanging from a tree. Upon closer inspection I noticed many of these. Interestingly, I only saw them hanging from the trunks and branches of certain kinds of trees and only on the north side.
When we moved from Southern California it was late Winter and when we arrived in New Zealand in late February Winter was just beginning, so this will be our first Summer down under! I look forward to seeing what Summer at 43º south latitude has in store! My mind seems to still have a Northern Hemisphere bias. I mean, here it is - mid November - and when we get late Spring storms like the wintry blast we had last night I keep thinking that it figures, since we will be heading into Winter soon - Wrong! I am having a hard time adjusting to the fact that it's Summer during Christmas time here - folks out camping, wearing short pants and short sleeved shirts.
One evening Gaby and I attended a kayaking group meeting here in Christchurch. At one point one of the guys was describing a kayaking trip to Quail Island in Lyttleton Harbour for a spot of tea for Christmas. As he described possible weather conditions to expect he said, "It probably won't snow - probably."
"The daffodils are blooming bright/
And Spring is here to my delight."
posted by Unknown at 12:28
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