We have been busy. Still clearing some areas of what I laughingly call “the jungle.”
This morning I braved the back steps up to the boundary line and discovered…flowers on one of the (many!) crotons!
This is not far from the Grevillea, revealed when The Man chopped some overgrown ,weedy stuff a couple of weeks ago.
I did start counting crotons…that sounds like a remedy for insomnia. Perhaps it is! But I gave up – they seem to be everywhere! Not that I’m complaining as they are so colourful and such hardy plants, especially in a “wild” sort of area. The experts will tell you they need regular, deep watering, blah-blah. Well, not here! Most of these plants have been here for 20+ years and survive on rain which, in the monsoon season, can be much more than mere “watering.” Tough as old boots! But I will lay a soaker hose along the top boundary and hope we don’t need to have a hose ban!
And a Croton, with “modified” leaves
There is a row, almost a hedge, of Raphiolepis indica in front of the deck. A few months ago I started pruning it, then we had a decent couple of rainy days and it flowered! So I left it for the bees. But I will try to reduce it somewhat before the wet season.
And two or three Draecenas are flowering! Useful fillers and, if you’re lucky enough to have flowers, deliciously scented. A bit ( to my nose, anyway) like clover. The thing is, they are not what I’d call reliably performing bloomers! All sorts of insects work them for nectar. And their strappy leaves are often chomped!
Dracaena flowers
And, since I’ve used the chomp word…I used a few other colourful words yesterday when I discovered that almost ALL the flower buds on a new Callistemon had been chomped, presumably by a caterpillar, though I couldn’t see one. Bastard! I only bought the plant last week and was very much looking forward to…this. Oh well, fingers crossed.
The big pot of Eucharis lily is flowering. I will probably keep it in a pot (maybe split it when this flowering is over), but yesterday I noticed a hitherto unseen white flower just off the deck. A careful tug of some other things revealed another Eucharis!
Two of the papaw trees are fruiting, but whether we’ll get any ripe fruit is a 50-50 gamble. Possums, birds and bats also love pawpaw!
One more picture before you nod off, bored to death? Oh, alright! Here’s Grevillea “Moonlight.” Long overdue for a serious pruning, but, being about the only thing keeping the birds and bees going we hadn’t the heart!
…squint very carefully and you can see two very tiny growth buds. Hope is not always a thing with feathers! 
No, there is not a prize for knowing the answer. But feel free to be creative.
Stanley, helping The Gardener.
Alamanda flower. It grows up the verandah support post and flings itself about, sometimes managing to sneak under the blind and tickle my ear when we eat outdoors. Can’t say I mind!
Back in our more rural days… we had lots of these and many others. You’ve probably heard people in some parts of the world urging caution when putting on boots, yes? Well, where we lived the “caution” meant tip the frog out before you stuff your foot in! Our neighbour used to keep a spare key in the pocket of his waterproof jacket, hanging on the back verandah. That was, in real estate parlance, a froggy des. res. !
And, on a sweltering 30+ day and wishing for this 
This was the first, not very successful attempt.The recipe calls it, at this stage, “shaggy dough” and it did, indeed smell a bit like a wet sheep!
Here you see me shaping the dough into something that looks loaf-like.
And here it is, doing what it is meant to do.
A delicate little thing, but tough enough to survive in harsh conditions. It’s so grateful for rain.
Not the best picture, but I wasn’t game to go into the neighbours’ yard as the ankle-biter is a tad viscious. 
This is the old stalwart, Fraser Island Creeper, Tecomanthe hillii 
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