Surprise, surprise

I never cease to be amazed at the surprises which can appear in the garden. This week, I had two of them. The first one was actually in Mandy & Michael's garden.



I have no idea what this plant is called, but I think it should be called the cobra lilly.



It looks very menacing with its dark hood over that serpentine tongue. The colours too are very unusual, aubergine, cream and green.



The plants appeared almost overnight and are very low growing, almost like a ground cover. I can't say that I particularly like this little plant, but I have to admire it for its ability to appear so quickly from nowhere and because it is so different.



My other surprise was in my own garden and is a much prettier one. I planted an orange stephanotis about five or six years ago in our courtyard and had visions of sitting outside on hot summer nights, sipping cold white wine and enjoying the gorgeous fragrance wafting through the air from this plant. As with most of my visions, this one has never come true. The plant has grown tall and looks very green and healthy, but it has never flowered. This week as I was looking out the window I noticed some white blobs on the plant. Hoping for the best, I immediately went outside and there they were - flowers at last.



The only disappointment is that it seems that it will flower in autumn and not summer and so I won't be enjoying its beautiful perfume on a hot summer night. Instead, I will enjoy it during the day as I sip my coffee and enjoy the incredible autumn weather we are having at the moment.