Last of the flowers

Sometimes we forget that flowers will die and the colours and shapes we enjoy so much will disappear from our garden scene.  Fortunately for me, there are always others budding and blooming. This spring my hoyas have been flowering very well.  I have three pots in my garden.  Two are sheltered by the jacaranda tree and one sits in the corner of the back verandah, with the hoya trained along the post.  This particular hoya was so prolific but I did not get a single picture when there were so many flowers hanging down looking so unreal.  I took a picture of this last hoya, wending its way on to a fern leaf.

The ever so tall budlia bush/tree can be seen from my kitchen window.  Over spring I enjoyed watching butterflies making the most of the nectar.  The other day all I saw was the last few purple flowers with the rest looking unsightly deadly brown.  I took my saw and secateur to the bush and brought down the limbs that were at least double my height.  There will be new growth.  In cutting down the budlia I brought more light to the Granny Smith apple tree and the elderflower tree which have enough berries ripening for me to make some cordial.  I picked the remaining budlia flowers and put them in a vase which I left on the front verandah.  That attracted a colourful butterfly.