Seat Series # 2 : Palm Seat…

To appreciate the beauty of a garden, time must be taken to just sit and absorb the sounds and smells, contemplate the combinations of colours and the patterns of shadows. Feel the passing breeze as it ruffles your hair. Watch the interaction of birds and notice the tiny insects keeping the garden ecology in balance. To pause occasionally and delight in the beauty around you is an important part of life.

So we have put seats everywhere in the garden.

I sit for a while on this seat, under the golden-cane palm trees, in the early morning, listening to the soft sound of birdsong swirling around me. The lorikeet in its rainbow coat of red, green, blue and yellow flashes overhead and settles on the Grevillea for a morning feed of sweet nectar. The fragrant scent of the Frangipani fills the air as a gentle breeze caresses  the leaves and flowers dance and sway to its rhythm.

Looking back towards the “contemplation seat” under the Frangipani tree.

 

I notice a minute native bee hovering in expectation in front of a multitude of beckoning stamens, spotted with tempting pollen. A bright blue butterfly briefly lands then flutters away. Far too quickly to capture a photo. The garden is alive with movement and sound.

 

I look over toward this border and I admire the sweet-scented Wattle tree (Acacia Suaveolens) that wispy, dainty tree in the above photo and try to remember when I planted it. When I check I find it is over a year ago since I chose and lovingly planted this native in my changing garden format. Initially almost giving up on it as it was a weak and sickly looking individual. A garden needs time to develop.

Looking further along I can see the Brazilian Red Cloak tree  (Megaskepasma erythrochlamys) is just coming into flower. Very soon it will be smothered in bright red, torch like flower spikes, a sight to behold, and I will post another photo of it when that happens.

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This is the second of my seat series. Here is the link to see the first “contemplation seat” . Periodically I will invite you to join me on another seat in the garden.