Now it is WINTER here.

The last Blog showed the colours of Autumn in "our neck of the woods."

All of that glorious Autumn colour has gone, and the starkness of Winter is here.

And this season has its own beauty.

We have many nights of below zero degrees. The following mornings are magic.
Heavy frosts coat the ground, and any low-growing shrubs, with sparkling white.

The frost remains where the sun has not yet reached.

And you can also see frost remnants along the edges of our road.

Low clouds fill our small valley. They often hang around until mid-morning.

Visibility is low on misty mornings. The place seems magical.

The skies can be clear and blue....stunning

....or grey and threatening...but still magnificent.

The deciduous  trees are bare...having lost their Autumn leaves. Their starkness is beautiful to see, against the backdrop of the sky.

But now, half way through winter some of them are already forming buds, ready to put on their Spring greenery at the first hint of warmer temperatures.

Here is one of our Magnolia trees....the buds are forming now, and, as a bonus, the bird's nest is visible, sitting in a fork of some branches.

And a few birds visit the farm over winter. These add colour and interest.

Here is an adult Crimson Rosella, with the lighter coloured juvenile. (Platycerus elegans)

And a group (or is it a "flock"?) of Crimson Rosellas in a tree near the house.

This is a little difficult to see, but it is a Scarlet Robin.(Petroica multicolor)

I love the robins. They only come to this area in the winter months. Apparently this region is the northern most extent of their winter migration.
 Neighbours in the area all keep a look-out for the robins. And we tell one another when and where we have sighted them.   Much excitement over a very small, but beautiful, bird.

And some flowers are frost-tolerant, and grow through Winter, adding splashes of colour.

I shall finish this Blog with the following photos of the few flowers growing here over winter.
Enjoy our winter photo gallery.

Calendulas (G.Calendula) are so hardy, and so bright.

The purple of the Iris is eye-catching in the brownness of the rest of the garden.

Not much luck with our bulbs this year but the Jonquils put on a show for us.

A small growth of Pansies (Viola genus)

The violets have a deep purple colour. (Also Viola genus)