DESKTOP 455 - SUNSET SKY

A glimpse of the sunset while taking off from Brisbane airport.
 
This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

DESKTOP 454 - LIVINGSTONE DAISY

"Pigface" or "Livingstone Daisy" is also known as "Mesembryanthemum". A cultivated strain of this splendid annual plant with spreading habit, it gives plants covered with flowers in a wide range of brilliant shades of gold, salmon, pink, purple and carmine red.
 
Mesembryanthemum (means “midday flowering") is a ground-hugging, sun loving, spreading plants, perfect for rockeries, they can also be used between flagstones and in dry walls. Perfect for dry sunny locations where they will produce flowers in abundance and an ideal plant for hosepipe bans!
 
Mesembryanthemum is a member of the family Aizoaceae; many members of this family including the present genus are characterized by long lasting flower heads. The flowers protect their gametes from night-time dews or frosts but open in sunlight. There is obviously an evolutionary advantage of doing this; where dew, frost, wind or predators are likely to damage exposed reproductive organs, closing may be advantageous during times when flowers are unlikely to attract pollinators.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 453 - SPRING SHOWERS

This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 452 - WARATAH

Telopea speciosissima or the “waratah” is a native Australian plant with spectacular flowers. Robert Brown (1773-1858) named the genus Telopea in 1810 from specimens collected in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Sir James Smith (1759-1828), a noted botanist and founder of the Linnaean Society in England, wrote in 1793: 'The most magnificent plant which the prolific soil of New Holland affords is, by common consent, both of Europeans and Natives, the Waratah. It is moreover a favourite with the latter, upon account of a rich honeyed juice which they sip from its flowers'.
 
The generic name Telopea is derived from the Greek 'telopos', meaning 'seen from afar', and refers to the great distance from which the crimson flowers are discernible. The specific name speciosissima is the superlative of the Latin adjective 'speciosus', meaning 'beautiful' or 'handsome'. 'Waratah', the Aboriginal name for the species, was adopted by early settlers at Port Jackson.

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
and also part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

DESKTOP 451 - ANEMONE

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme.

DESKTOP 450 - SUNNY DAISIES

This post is part of the I Heart Macros meme.

DESKTOP 449 - ALMOND BLOSSOM

This post is part of the Weekend in Black and White meme,
and also part of the I Heart Macros meme.

DESKTOP 448 - LAUNCESTON SUNRISE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Photo of the Week meme.

DESKTOP 447 - LAVENDER

This is Italian Lavender (Lavandula stoechas, or "Princess" Lavender).

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 446 - OCEAN

Australia, the island continent is surrounded by oceans, so the majority of the population, which lives close to the coastline is never far from ocean vistas like these...

This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 445 - CHERRY CHEESECAKE

I spotted a new red and white-striped petunia at our nursery this Spring. The compact habit of Petunia 'Crazytunia Cherry Cheesecake' makes it a fantastic addition to beds, borders, window boxes and patio containers. The weather-resistant blooms promise to liven up our garden all summer long, even through our unpredictable Australian summers.

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
and also part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

DESKTOP 444 - TWO HEADS

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme.

DESKTOP 443 - FRESHLY PICKED

This post is part of the Weekly TopShot meme,

and also part of the I Heart Macros meme.

DESKTOP 442 - COLUMBINES

This post is part of the Photo of the Week meme,
and also part of the Pink Saturday meme, 
and also part of the I Heart Macros meme.

DESKTOP 441 - MELBOURNE MUSEUM CUBE

Melbourne Museum is in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, adjacent to the Royal Exhibition Building. It was designed by Denton Corker Marshall Architects and finished construction in 2001. The museum is a rich response to Melbourne’s urban condition, and provides a place for education, history, culture and society to engage with each other in a contemporary setting. It is now an important part of Melbourne’s soft infrastructure.
 
The museum has seven main galleries, a Children's Gallery and a temporary exhibit gallery on three levels, Upper, Ground and Lower Level and was constructed by Baulderstone Hornibrook. The entire Children's Gallery (housed in what looks like a giant Rubik's Cube) is aimed at 3-8 year olds, (although it is proving to be popular with all ages), and consists of three spaces; the exhibition gallery Big Box, The Learning Environment and the Tattersall's Children's Garden.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,

and also part of the Geometric Friday meme.

DESKTOP 440 - BRACHYSCOME

Brachyscome hybrida, "Radiant Magenta": This is the brightest magenta Brachyscome available, "engineered" to be be a healthier plant with dark green foliage and more compact than other varieties. A stunning addition to any garden!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 439 - SWIMMER

This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 438 - SPRINGTIME VISITOR

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
and also part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

DESKTOP 437 - BLUEBELLS

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Inspiring Photography meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

DESKTOP 436 - ROSES

This post is part of the Pink Saturday meme,
and also part of the I Heart Macros meme.

DESKTOP 435 - SUNSET REFLECTIONS

The sunset reflected on the façade of the ANZ headquarters in South Wharf in Melbourne, Australia.

This post is part of the Geometric Friday meme,
and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme.

DESKTOP 434 - SOARING

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

DESKTOP 433 - PANSIES

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 432 - MANLY, NSW, AUSTRALIA

Manly is a beach-side suburb of northern Sydney, Australia. It is 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.

This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 431 - ICELAND POPPY

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
and also part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

DESKTOP 430 - PURPLE SWAMPHEN

The Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a large rail. It is mainly dusky black above, with a broad dark blue collar, and dark blue to purple below. As the Purple Swamphen walks, it flicks its tail up and down, revealing its white undertail. The bill is red and robust, and the legs and feet orange-red. For such a bulky bird, the Swamphen is an accomplished flier and will readily take to the air to escape danger. In flight, the long legs and elongated toes trail behind or hang underneath the body. Purple Swamphens are proficient swimmers, but prefer to wander on the edges of the water, among reeds and on floating vegetation.
 
Purple Swamphens are common throughout eastern and northern Australia, with a separate subspecies common in the extreme south-west of the continent. Birds have transported themselves from Australia to New Guinea and New Zealand and throughout the islands of the south-west Pacific. It has been suggested that the New Zealand population of Purple Swamphens (locally called the Pukeko) originated in Australia.

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Inspiring Photography meme,
and also part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

DESKTOP 429 - SUCCULENT

This post is part of the I Heart Macros meme.

DESKTOP 428 - PINK MALLOW

This post is part of the Weekly TopShot meme,
and also part of the Pink Saturday meme,
and also part of the KWIATY NATURA I ZWIERZAKI group

DESKTOP 427 - TREES AND SKY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

DESKTOP 426 - PINK DAISY

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 425 - LINDOS, RHODES, GREECE

This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.