Things of Beauty

21 Feb

kristi 0 56

Title image above is copyright © Kristi Ellinopoullos First published 21st February 2026 Smile! This is a Suimen jujube leaf, 100% a legit photo taken by me and not AI. (That I need to say that at all is so depressing….) This ability of us to perceive objects that aren’t there is called pareidolia..

19 Feb

kristi 0 76

The Wollongong Botanic Garden Haworthia Collection

Title image above is copyright © Kristi Ellinopoullos First published 19th February 2026 The Wollongong Botanic Garden is home to a Haworthia collection of over 1,000 Haworthia spp. from Leo Cady’s donated private collection. A regularly-rotated selection from this collection amassed over more tha..

05 Dec

kristi 0 267

The Mighty Queensland Bottle Tree

Title image above is copyright © Kristi Ellinopoullos First published 5th December 2025 There are many Queensland Bottle Trees (Brachychiton rupestris) throughout the the Wollongong Botanic Garden, and this particularly stunning one always draws my eye: A magnificent Brachychiton rupestris (Queen..

05 Dec

kristi 0 238

Leafcutter Bees

Title image above is copyright © Optimate Group Pty Ltd (This article was originally published 2nd February 2021 here on our Jujube Tree Nursery site.) First published here 5th December 2025. Have you ever seen these very smooth round and oval shapes in leaves before, and not known what made them?..

20 Oct

kristi 0 303

The Wollongong Botanic Garden Azalea Collection

Title image above is copyright © Kristi Ellinopoullos First published 20th October 2025 The series on the The Wollongong Botanic Garden continues here, this time with a photo essay on its Azalea Collection. From their website: This collection features plants found in Asiatic regions including Chi..

25 Jun

kristi 0 1163

Lone Pine Descendants in Victoria

Title image above is copyright © Helen Flynn First published 25th June 2025 Following the Lone Pine article, two pals have since shared their own sightings in Victoria of this magnificent tree. How could I not do a followup and help spread the word?! Local pal Sandra was first, seeing a tree here,..

07 May

kristi 0 724

Lockhart: "George the Friesian Bull" Farm Art Sculpture

Art piece above is copyright © Andrew McGill. Title photo above is copyright © Kristi Ellinopoullos First published 7th May 2025. Last December 2024 hubby and I had a wonderful time exploring the NSW Riverina area. The town of Lockhart abounds with sculptures, and we spent a good few hours explori..

25 Apr

kristi 0 1027

Lest We Forget: Anzac Day and The Lone Pine

Title image above is copyright © Kristi Ellinopoullos First published 25th April 2025 Today, 25th April, is the 110th anniversary of the first military action seen by Australian and New Zealand troops on this day 1915. The ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) suffered heavy casualties wh..

14 Mar