A week visiting my parents

Recently we spent a week at my parents' place.  It wasn't really a holiday, as Martin went to work every day as usual, but it was a great way to spend lots of good time with them.

Whilst we were there, I also spent a lot of time admiring their beautiful garden.

This hippeastrum had a beautiful scent that drifted metres beyond the plant!

A huge and colourful ornamental banana plant.

At the right of the picture you can see a remarkably large apple tree that's been planted in an old recycling bin.

A crucifix orchid on the deck and a hydrangea behind the room we were staying in.

Part of my mum's extensive succulent collection.

I love how the aeonium (the plant with the almost black rosette of petals at the left) looks like it's craning its neck to get a good view of something.  It reminded me of the plants in Little Shop of Horrors :-).

I was astonished to learn that the little round-leafed succulents across the front are all clones of one my mum was given when she was a Registrar at Wellington Hospital over 45 years ago.

Luscious big fuschia flowers.

A cycad - representative of a very ancient family of plants.  It has very stiff and spiky leaves that I wasn't always as careful of as would have been wise!

Martin getting some work done in a comfortable shady corner of the deck.

Mummy having a quiet break amongst her plants.

Martin and Daddy at dinner one evening in the room we were staying in.