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| Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) male. (by-nc-nd) |
26 August 2012
Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) Butterfly and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)
The Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, widespread over much of the Palaearctic. Their uppersides and undersides have different patterns: male uppersides are irridescent blue, while females are rather brownish. Undersides are greyish colour in the males and more brownish in the females.
11 August 2012
Spiders, Cobwebs and Wasp Nest
Even wandering around an ordinary garden you can bump into a variety of different cobwebs,
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| Communal spider web (© 2012 LightColourShade. All rights reserved) |
3 August 2012
Summer colours, pink and white.
Flowering Trees — Oleanders.
I've always had a particular fondness for oleanders, every time I see them I know the sea is somewhere close and it comforts me. In summer their blossom fills the air with sweet fragrance; to my eyes, there's no true garden without oleanders.
Nerium oleander is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, toxic in all its parts. It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin (probably southwest Asia), has been identified. Oleander is one of the most poisonous of commonly grown garden plants, and can be very toxic if ingested in sufficient quantity. Clearly, this beauty can stand up for itself!
Nerium oleander is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, toxic in all its parts. It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin (probably southwest Asia), has been identified. Oleander is one of the most poisonous of commonly grown garden plants, and can be very toxic if ingested in sufficient quantity. Clearly, this beauty can stand up for itself!
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| Oleander flowers. (© 2012 LightColourShade. All rights reserved) |
24 July 2012
Red-Eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) Basking in the Sun
Like all reptiles turtles need to warm themselves up.
The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a semiaquatic turtle from the family Emydidae and is a subspecies of pond slider.
Red-eared sliders (from the distinctive red patch of skin around their ears) slide off rocks and logs into the water quickly when approached, hence the "slider" part of the name.
Red-eared sliders are almost entirely aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and lay eggs, are aware of predators and people, and generally shy away from them. They are deceptively fast and are also good swimmers. These turtles are omnivorous and hunt for prey.
Contrary to the popular misconception, red-eared sliders do not have saliva. They, like most aquatic turtles, have fixed tongues, so they must eat their food in water.
The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a semiaquatic turtle from the family Emydidae and is a subspecies of pond slider.
Red-eared sliders (from the distinctive red patch of skin around their ears) slide off rocks and logs into the water quickly when approached, hence the "slider" part of the name.
Red-eared sliders are almost entirely aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and lay eggs, are aware of predators and people, and generally shy away from them. They are deceptively fast and are also good swimmers. These turtles are omnivorous and hunt for prey.
Contrary to the popular misconception, red-eared sliders do not have saliva. They, like most aquatic turtles, have fixed tongues, so they must eat their food in water.
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| Red-eared slider (Trachymes scripta elegans) basking in the sun (© 2012 LightColourShade. All rights reserved) |
20 July 2012
Summer Colours — Flowering Trees.
The Blue Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia)
Summer is all about the baking hot sun, bright light, busy insects and the beauty and fragrance of flowering trees.
The Blue Jacaranda, Jacaranda mimosifolia, or simply the "Jacaranda", is a sub-tropical tree native to South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its beautiful and long-lasting blue flowers. It is also known as the Black Poui, or as the fern tree. The curious thing about this tree is that when its leaves wither, the tree gives off a pleasant vinegar-like smell.
The Blue Jacaranda, Jacaranda mimosifolia, or simply the "Jacaranda", is a sub-tropical tree native to South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its beautiful and long-lasting blue flowers. It is also known as the Black Poui, or as the fern tree. The curious thing about this tree is that when its leaves wither, the tree gives off a pleasant vinegar-like smell.
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| Jacaranda tree in full blossom. (© 2012 LightColourShade. All rights reserved) |
10 July 2012
Cotyledon orbiculata (Pigs ear) in flower
A few years ago I found in the street a thick succulent leaf of this plant and stuck it into a free flower pot, although I didn't know at the time what it was. It grew into a beautiful small bush that rewards us with dainty flowers every year.
Cotyledon orbiculata, commonly known as Pig's Ear or Round-leafed Navel-wort, is a succulent plant belonging to the Cotyledon genus. It grows to approximately 1.3 m (4.3 ft) in height. Its gray-green leaves have a white powdery substance on them that helps reflect sunlight and conserve water. The shape of the leaves looks like a pig's ear, hence the common name. Cotyledon orbiculata is native to South Africa; in the wild, it grows naturally in rocky outcrops in grassy shrubland and the Karoo region.
Cotyledon orbiculata, commonly known as Pig's Ear or Round-leafed Navel-wort, is a succulent plant belonging to the Cotyledon genus. It grows to approximately 1.3 m (4.3 ft) in height. Its gray-green leaves have a white powdery substance on them that helps reflect sunlight and conserve water. The shape of the leaves looks like a pig's ear, hence the common name. Cotyledon orbiculata is native to South Africa; in the wild, it grows naturally in rocky outcrops in grassy shrubland and the Karoo region.
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| Cotyledon orbiculata (Pigs ear) plant (© 2012 LightColourShade. All rights reserved) |
27 June 2012
Flowering Trees. Yellow Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Another one from my flowering trees series, this time it's yellow acacia — or at least that's the name I know it by.
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| Flowering Yellow Acacia. (© 2012 LightColourShade. All rights reserved) |
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