Last year I accidentally discovered a whole lake filled with Lotus at Sandstone Point - not far from my home in Beachmere. There is a large lake beside the Sandstone Point shopping centre. There is a lovely lawned area and a shelter, and a path right around the lake. I calculated that they would be flowering around December to February, so this morning I set off to see if there were good photography opportunities.
The area did not look as healthy as it did 12 months ago - with many of the huge lotus leaves dying off somewhat, and not a lot of flowers. Perhaps I will return in a few weeks. Maybe our dry and recent very hot weather has impacted on the flowers this season.
They are such exquisite and perfect flowers - from the pinkish bud that pokes out between the leaves, ncased in green petal-like protection that soon drops off and slowly the flower opens as the petals lose their colour, except on the tips. I can understand how these are so sacred in some religions. So perfect.
This is the Sacred Lotus.
When the petals are rady to drop off, the seed pod in the centre will change from yellow to green, and later brown. As there were few seed pods in the pond, I can only guess that perhaps it is early in the flowering season for them.
Interestingly much of the lotus is edible - the petals, the seedpod, the leaves and the roots.
I did a circuit of the pond and noticed that there were other water flowers blooming - some that we would call water lillies. It is such a beautiful spot.
Last year there were many fruit bats in the trees surrounding the pond, but today I could see none.
The area did not look as healthy as it did 12 months ago - with many of the huge lotus leaves dying off somewhat, and not a lot of flowers. Perhaps I will return in a few weeks. Maybe our dry and recent very hot weather has impacted on the flowers this season.
They are such exquisite and perfect flowers - from the pinkish bud that pokes out between the leaves, ncased in green petal-like protection that soon drops off and slowly the flower opens as the petals lose their colour, except on the tips. I can understand how these are so sacred in some religions. So perfect.
This is the Sacred Lotus.
When the petals are rady to drop off, the seed pod in the centre will change from yellow to green, and later brown. As there were few seed pods in the pond, I can only guess that perhaps it is early in the flowering season for them.
Interestingly much of the lotus is edible - the petals, the seedpod, the leaves and the roots.
I did a circuit of the pond and noticed that there were other water flowers blooming - some that we would call water lillies. It is such a beautiful spot.
Last year there were many fruit bats in the trees surrounding the pond, but today I could see none.
The above photo shows the blue water lillies and some tiny white lilies that all seem to live happily on the lake.
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