In the period leading to Christmas some people buy an Advent Calendar to check off each day before December 25. Usually intended for children, it appears that in recent years there has been a rise in the popularity of luxury ones aimed at indulgent adults who feel the necessity to treat themselves on the run-up to the big day itself – from expensive candles and perfume to miniature bottles of Prosecco or Whisky and even chunks of cheese.
So I thought to balance all this extravaganza I would offer you an alternative in the form of a flower a day from Sunday 3rd December until Sunday 24th December.
All images taken on a mid-November day along the George V Memorial Walk alongside Copperhouse Pool in Hayle using my Olympus OM-D E-M10 and 40-150mm lens
Earth laughs in flowers 
A furry lime
Possibly…. not 😀
A green bottle brush? X
It was more yellow than this image indicates but yes, a bottlebrush. I love seeing these down here, makes me feel as if I am in Australia 😀 (if only we had their warmth though…)
Warmth? That must be what you get in the John Lewis store. I can’t afford anything else. Paddington was cute though xx
You are just a big kid at heart Jo 😀
I don’t mean to gloat, but today it is 28 degrees with a light breeze and the possibility of a storm this afternoon. At the moment though, there’s not a cloud to be seen. I love summer. 🙂
I noticed that in Perth this weekend it is up to 34 degrees! Now that’s too hot for me. I like a comfortable, “walking”, 23-4 max.
Ooh, what’s this one then?
Bottlebrush / Callistemon possibly viridiflorus – an Australian shrub/tree
Ah, right, I wasn’t paying attention when you told me previously!!
I try to identify them using the tags too 😀
Aha! I’m just so switched off!!! 😳
The only bottlebrush I know is bright red. We do have a little delight called yellow puff — that’s what I thought this might be. (I just saw your comment about using the tags for ID, too. Good idea)
There are red and pink ones here as well as a pale yellow one, I think this is more green looking because of the background.
Oh snap! Yours looks so soft when I know they’re so spikey! There’s a pink one nearby but I never have my camera with me when I walk that way.
Well next time, take it!!
Beautiful. At my school we have some very large bottlebrush trees and this week they have been full of rainbow lorikeets feasting on the flowers. They are so noisy, but the children love watching their antics.
A shame we don’t have those birds here, they are so colourful.
I have not come across this very pretty coloured bottle brush. I must keep a look out for it.
Not sure that this is as green as it looks, it is quite tiny and was hidden among the very bright green leaves, but there is one called ‘viridiflorus’ which is a green-yellow colour. I know there are pale lemon ones in this garden.
Must look for it I like yellow flowers and have quite a number in my garden
Ooh a fluffy one, it looks like on of those non feather dusters!
They always make me think of babies’ bottles. 😀
That’s a new one to me, Jude.
You have seen the pale yellow ones?
Oh yes, we have one. But all our bottle brushes would brush bottles. That one looks more like a feather duster 🙂
When I next go past I shall give it a stroke and see how soft it really is 🙂
An after thought – the banksia genus is fascinating. All the blooms are symmetrical, and they range from very soft (like cotton wool), through suitable as a hair brush, up to almost wire brush rigidity!
They are lovely plants, I want a small one in my garden along with a grevillea. But they will need to be able to withstand the wind!!
No worries if you choose well. Many Banksias are coastal, so they will cop wind and even salt!
oooo – I’ve never seen one of these before! What a lovely flower … and an appropriate name! 🙂
Do they come in different colours?
Red is the most common, but they come in pink and pale yellow too.