It was a brilliant sunny morning after a freezing night, and there were still spots of frost in the shadows. I filled a vase with water in the porch and headed out with some scissors to pick flowers. When I came back there was a small weta floating spreadeagled in the vase. I scooped him out and put him down in the sun, worried about his dip in the freezing water, but he quickly started looking for shelter and shade, first trying the vase, and then the scissors as a hiding place.
I finally covered him up with some Kale leaves I had harvested while picking the flowers. I think he is a young male Tree Weta (Hemideina thoracica). I’ll post some more pictures of him later.
My Honeywort – Cerinthe is doing incredibly well now that I have finally planted the seeds. It’s a mini forest of plants, just coming into flower.
There are plenty of Narcissus this week, mostly Erlicheer, but also ‘Silver Chimes’ and ‘Indian Maid’.
The Silver Chimes are looking less damaged this week. Aside from the purple Verbena, there are some unidentified purple and white annuals which were the only thing which grew in a wildflower mix. I would love to know what they are. The yellow Narcissus is ‘Indian Maid’.
Amazingly the Tree Dahlia still had a few flowers so I included some of these, and a Nahema rose bud.
Thanks to Cathy, who hosts this meme each week at Rambling in the Garden.
Absent Gardener 
Beautiful. My garden has nothing left but green. I really need some flowering summer flowers.
Thank you 🙂 Maybe you could plant some Asters, or Rudbeckia?
Thank you. I will look up your suggestions. I haven’t heard of rudbeckia before.
Something so refreshing and promising about spring flowers. Yours are real beauties.
Spring is the best time of the year for scented flowers don’t you think?
Love your spring bulbs. It is mid summer here so I feel it should be mid winter with you but I’m glad it is spring! There is so much promise in spring flowers.
It is really Winter, it’s just that the seasons here in the North Island feel like a wet cold Spring for half the year, followed by a mild summer for the other half. Fantastic for raising food 🙂 You seem to have more variation with the dry hot Summers and slightly colder Winters.
Sometimes very cold winters. Summers are always hot but this year is even hotter than usual.
Pretty vase and neat bug, new to me.
Thank you, these bugs only live in NZ. They look like a grasshopper, but are nocturnal and live for a couple years.
So refreshing to see your spring flowers. Are they early? It’s Summer here. Cute critter
I think they are early – it’s mostly the ones I planted this year, so maybe they are not as deep as they could be. We also haven’t had much cold weather this year at our place, although some places had record cold weather.
Cerinthe flowering with early spring bulbs? We just don’t know what we are going to see in your vases next, Cath. The wild flower looks a bit like corncockle, although that’s usually pink – I am sure someone will identify it properly for you! Thanks for sharing today
When does Cerinthe flower for you? Mine is just starting, but it could be that I planted it at the wrong time of year. I can’t find the list of seeds that are supposed to be in the mix. I’ve told myself a hundred times not to buy mixtures, however at least something came up.
I checked back in my records and from an October sowing it was flowering in April, which I had forgotten, with a March sowing flowering in July
Your spring flowers add such a welcome freshness to the collection of summer blooms I’m currently used to seeing. The new-to-me bug is interesting and reminds me of what we call a Jerusalem cricket here (Stenopelmatus).
You are so right! Weta live only in NZ but Wikipedia says they are related, and the certainly look similar.
“There are a number of other genera in the same superfamily (Stenopelmatoidea) in Australia and New Zealand. These are the weta and king crickets. They are similar to Stenopelmatus in many respects.”
Thank you for that information 🙂
What a pretty collection, I love the narcissus. Some of your little flowers look like Virginia Stocks. I have some flowering their hearts out here.
Oh, that’s what they are! They do have a sweet scent. Wikipedia says they are one of the easiest flowers to grow so I guess that’s why they came up. 🙂 Brassicas do well for me so hopefully they will spread.
Thank you for helping with that.
Cute little cricket, I expect he was grateful for the rescue and cover. A lovely spring bouquet, Cath. I’m always surprised to see contrasting summery dahlias with narcissi. Your climate must be unique!
Thanks Eliza! I hope he was grateful for his new home in the woodshed. Tree Dahlias are just quite different from normal Dahlias I think.
Nice bouquet ! Well done 🙂
Thank you 🙂 it’s a bit messy but it smells nice.
Lovely to see such fresh spring flowers while we are wilting in the summer heat. Your insect is quite interesting, looks like a cross between a grasshopper and a wasp! 😉
To see spring flowers ‘live’ although on the other side of the World is a treat…Spring must be my favourite season of all. But then when we are in the middle of Winter to then admire your summer blooms is a treat. This IAVOM is a sure balm. Your arrangement is charming. Thanks for sharing.