After feeling like I had cabin fever last weekend due to the need to get my next assessment done, I thought I’d get myself off to Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. I don’t actually think I’ve ever been in spring, so I had a really nice time. The weather was cloudy and cool, but that’s the way I like it!

I went all over the gardens today, something that I don’t always do. I visited the succulent garden today which I usually forget exists. I thought that I’d share a flower (there weren’t many on show) and a rather epic looking cactus.

There are always a few canna lilies looking good around the gardens, as you can see. When I was younger, I always preferred more muted colours-while I still like these, I love the brighter colours more than I did.

As I walked past this bamboo, it was creaking ominously in the wind. While I’m not the biggest fan of bamboo, it’s not in my garden and it does look quite good.

I rather like this garden bed, it’s always colourful and full of native Australian plants.

Coral trees always have the most amazing flowers, just like these ones below.

I couldn’t resist this photo, as it showed how close the gardens are to the harbour bridge and opera house.

This is a native Australian tree that I don’t know much about, but it’s flowering like crazy. Watch this space for more information about the flax-leaved-paperbark soon!

To be honest, this photo doesn’t do this tree justice. The kauri pine is a Queensland native that is a fabulously huge specimen of a tree. We need more trees like this one in our larger landscapes, not only for the ‘benefits’ they provide, like providing shade and cleaner air, but also because they are great looking!

This is the bark of the Wollemi pine, which was famously rediscovered in 1994. Call me a bit odd, but I’m a fan of interesting bark on a tree, with this being one of them.

This wonky little tree is a coast araucaria, in my favourite genus of coniferous trees, Araucaria (think monkey puzzle tree and Norfolk Island pines by the beach in Australia). I just love the form this tree has taken, along with its wonky nature-growing straight up is a bit uncool, there are several trees with a similar lean going on, all in the same genus!

These little pansies remind me of gardening with my mum at home as a kid-they always went into the rockery in the back garden.

Many of the rosesare looking good in the rose garden at the moment, so I just picked one to share.

I can’t go to the botanic gardens without getting a good look at fig trees, they are such interesting trees to look at. This is Ficus macrophylla for anyone that’s interested.

I’m loving the colour of these flowers. I don’t really need to say any more.

I loved this planting of delphiniums, the colours complement each other so well.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed my photos today, as much as I enjoyed my visit to the gardens themselves.