Spring has Sprung - at least in our garden

For some the first sign of Spring is one of these :

This daff has appeared in our tiny front garden - I must have planted the bulb at least 5yrs ago and this is the first time it has flowered!

For many Sydney-siders Spring has arrived when the jasmine starts to bloom

Our jasmine is down the side of the house - don't you love the perfume of jasmine on a warm evening?   not that we've had any of those yet!

For me the first signs of spring are the SnowFlakes (Leucojum aestivum)  with their pretty bell-like flowers,

 

 our little Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata),  and

 my favourite orchid - a Dendrobium teretifolium. 

 Dendrobium teretifolium or has this native Australian orchid been re-named (I simply can't keep up with the botanists) Dockrillia teretifolia    well it has several common names as well - in NSW  'rat's tail orchid' for the long thin leaves whereas in Queensland they call it the 'bridal veil orchid' for the lovely cascades of white or cream flowers.  We call our D teretifolia/um  Errol;  he has been with us for 30yrs and every year Errol delights us with bunches of lovely 'flying' flowers - the scent is gorgeous too :-)

 

 This year Errol started flowering really early - the last week of July!  but those photos, in full bloom, were taken last weekend (7th August).

I'll leave you with a dewy pale pink camellia bloom :-)   pretty?