As always, my working week has been busy, with a couple of days this week being hot-we reached fourth degrees Celsius on Wednesday which is never a fun temperature to work in, no matter how easy the work is! Either way, here is my week in flowers and plants.

While this sago palm (Cycas revoluta) is a rather sorry looking specimen in some respects, I wanted to show you the cone that is growing (along with the dead one from last year). In this species, male and female reproductive parts are on seperate plants, the one below being male. I see this species quite often when I’m out and about, but this is the first time I’ve seen a male plant with the cone forming.

These delightful flowers are oleander flowers. While I do like these plants and their flowers, they are toxic if eaten, so follow my mums advice of looking with your eyes, not your hands!

Spring is time for bauhinia flowering. The leaves are always very showy, whether white or pink. The white flowers are at work while the pink ones are at home.

Hydrangeas are another genus of plants that are coming into their own right now in Sydney. Here are two different cultivars that I’ve come across this week, although I’m not sure which they are.

Pelargoniums are always lovely to have in a garden with their colourful flowers. The leaves are also really decorative with their bands of different colours.

Duranta flowers are lovely. The usual yellow-leaved cultivar that I see at work is not a favourite of mine but I do like the flowers.

Callistemon flowers are always a joy to see, the bright red is such a bright cheery colour.

Yesterday-today-tomorrow in all its glory is a lovely shrub with flowers that fade from deep purple to white over time.

These lovely little flowers come from scared bamboo, or Nandina domestica. This is another plant where I like the flowers but not the plant itself. In this instance it’s because I often see it looking really awful due to a lack of maintenance or care more than because it’s an ugly plant.

Finally, the showy pink flowers of a lily pilly. A native of Australia, these plants are tough while looking great in any garden, especially if there is space to let them grow into their full size and natural shape. They put on their flower show every spring-one of my favourite times of year for that reason.

That’s my week in flowers. I wish you a fruitful weekend.