Thursday, November 1, 2012

"Jaca" Thursday




Everywhere you look in our town right now, your eyes are met with a sea of shimmering purple flowers. The jacaranda trees are in full bloom again, as they are this time each year.


 

 There are hundreds upon hundreds of these South American trees planted all through our town, some oner 100 years old and quite large.




Our town is home to the Jacaranda Festival, the oldest family floral festival in Australia, spread over about two weeks, culminating in Jacaranda Thursday (today) when all the local schools close and many businesses open only half a day. The main streets are closed to traffic and become home to open-air markets, street entertainment, rides and general good fun.










This morning we stumbled upon a fun photo shoot of the Jacaranda Official Party, including the newly crowned Queen, Princess, Matron of Honour and contestants who were involved in fundraising and promoting this annual festival.







 We headed home about 9am, before the busy crowds and heat of the day set in. The children had each bought some sweets, I cam home with some lovely French Earl Grey Tea for my husband and two new plants for me.










The jacarandas never cease to amaze me with their sudden burst of purple beauty and subtle sweet summery scent. Last year I photographed some of our other jacaranda lined streets (for there are so many), check here if you would like to enjoy some more glorious purple!


Sharing at This or That Thursday, Nurture Photography: Purple, Weekly Top Shot, Our World Tuesday.

77 comments:

Joyful said...

Beautiful jacaranda trees. I loved your photos. Brought back pleasant memories of visiting small aussie towns so many moons ago.

Marijke said...

What a beautiful vieuws of the streets full of purple flowers. Must be a feast to see this tree's coming into flowers. Does these jacarandaflowers bring any fragance?
Great photo's Karen.
Have a wonderful weekend ahead.

Seeing Each Day said...

I've been terribly neglectful of posting comments on other people's sites this week. It's all I can manage to put up a few of my own. But as this nice blogging thing goes, something kept niggling me to take the time out this afternoon to go to click on yours (which is my go to site anyway, I should say). And there I found the jacarandas! Brilliant minds think alike - yes - but brilliant minds like yours take that extra step and capture beautiful photos. The word luscious comes to mind. So full of purple and at such great eye level angles.

Vilisi said...

So so beautiful... I found your blog at A Tapestry of Life and have enjoyed looking at the lovely pictures of flowers. I have cornflowers in my small garden that are just starting to blossom now. :)

Jan said...

Beautiful photographic summary of the Festival.
We were there last year.
Blessings.

tinajo said...

Wow - just WOW! I´ve never seen that tree before, but it´s sure beautiful!

Rosemary said...

I would love a Jacaranda Tree in our garden encircled with agapanthus - what a magic combination.
The mauve eyelashes are great fun!!!

eileeninmd said...

The Jacaranda Trees are gorgeous. I love the color of the blooms. Sounds like a fun festival. Beautiful photos.

s.c said...

Beautiful shots of the jacaranda's and I must admit the jacaranda party girls have just the exact color dresses on. Must be fun.

Cinzia said...

Questi viali sono spettacolari ed i fiori hanno un colore stupendo! Come sempre, ottime foto!
Buona giornata.
Cinzia

Tezzie said...

Ohhhh...wow. I remember these from last year. I'd forgotten exactly how beautiful they are, though. The closest we come to having something similar, are purple lilac trees. But, they're mostly green with purple blooms dotted throughout. The amazing thing about Jacaranda, I think, is that it's pretty much just purple flowers...and hardly any green! (the woodworker in me seems to recall, also, that Jacaranda wood is both beautiful and easy to work with. Do they sell any types of handicrafts made from the wood, by any chance? Or, is that kinda sacrilegious...it being a festival to celebrate the tree, and all ;D)

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

Hi Tezzie, you are so right. Jacarandas flower before their new season's leaves come out - quite amazing. About a month ago they all looked like skeleton trees, totally bare!
Jacaranda wood is light in colour and good for woodworking. Each year during the festival there is a special woodwork display which includes items made from jacaranda wood.

Anonymous said...

Wow - such magically beautiful shots!

Beth said...

How very beautiful. It will soon be winter here. I am not looking forward to the ice and snow.

Unknown said...

These are so breathtaking! Your photos are glorious - thank you for the tour of your beautiful town.

Edna B said...

Oh my goodness, these are awesome! I've never seen this tree before, didn't even know it existed. These are just gorgeous. Thank you ever so much for sharing this beauty with us.

happyone said...

Oh my goodness!!! Those trees are absolutely beautiful. So many of them make it especially beautiful. WOW!
I'd sure enjoy a walk down the street under all that purple.

Cristina Ferreira said...

Encantada com tanta beleza.

Beijos

Tamar SB said...

So so beautiful! Such a contrast as we are saying good bye to the leaves and colors you are starting to get new color and growth!

Larry said...

Absolutely amazing... I've always loved their color and form! Larry

Sylvia K said...

I do love the jacaranda trees and I've never seen quite so many in one place!! They were plentiful when I lived in Mexico, but this surpasses them! Superb and breathtaking captures, Karen!! Thanks for sharing the beauty!! Hope your weekend is going well! Enjoy!

geanina said...

just wow!!! beautiful pictures...:)

Giga said...

Piękne kwitnące drzewa i dziewczyny ubrane pod kolorów kwiatów. Festiwal był z pewnością ciekawy, bo zakupy zostały zrobione. Pozdrawiam.
Beautiful flowering trees and girl dressed in colors of the flowers. The festival was certainly interesting, because the purchases were made. Yours.

Karen said...

I love jacarandas, what a treat for the eyes. Thanks for sharing.

Ellie said...

Oh my goodness these are wonderful pictures - I love all of that beautiful colour. :)

mariondejong said...

Simply stunning, what a beauty!
Marion

akwamaryna said...

Oh! - such magically beautiful shots! Those trees are incredibly beautiful.
Hugs

Unknown said...

Wow, the trees and their color are just amazing! Thanks for sharing something with us like this, from the other side of the world! :D

Sarah said...

Wau your spring time is amazing!!!! This Tree is such beautiful!!! Lots of love Sarah

Juliana said...

Oh I wish that amazing Jakaranda blooms in my country!....
Impressive!

xoxo, Juliana | PJ’ Happies :) | PJ’ Ecoproject

Tammy@Simple Southern Happiness said...

I am blown away, this is so beautiful and I bet to see it in person is even more spectacular. I can add this tree to my wish list... LOVELY!

FilipBlog said...

I have never seen such trees. It is just amazing and must smell very well. Not good for people with an allergy.

Greetings,
Filip

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

I don't think they cause allergy problems (thankfully) and are only very lightly scented.

Gail Dixon said...

Dear goodness, these are spectacular! I've never seen purple trees like this and they bloom so profusely!

Unknown said...

Love when Jacarandas bloom here around May! I can see these are old trees. Even a festival centered around the Jacarandas looks great fun! Thanks for sharing:)

Valerie said...

Glorious colour and fun times. The Jacarandas are so uplifting to one's spirits. Thanks for sharing Karen.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Really interesting and those trees are certainly worth holding a festival for! Wow they are lovely.

Anonymous said...

What gorgeous trees! The color is awesome.

Unknown said...

This is awesome Karen!
Like walking through Heaven's door :)
Just looking at the tree brings so much comfort and peace..

Kateri said...

Talk about clouds of purple splendor.Absolutely beautiful! I'm suddenly having a strong urge to drop everything and move to Australia...

Jennifer {Studio JRU} said...

Oh my goodness... that is amazing!! I love the purple trees! I must see if we can grow something like that here. I would love a purple tree in our yard!! :)

Christina said...

Oh so pretty, I love this time of year.....the streets and parks in Brisbane are lined with splatters of purple. Your Jacaranda photos are beautiful :)

Unknown said...

This is so beautiful and the Jacaranda girls are sweet with their purple eyelashes and tiaras. Your pictures remind me of the time I visited Myanmar where they have jacaranda trees planted in some of their towns.

Susan said...

LOVELY sight! Especially with the autumn storms going on at the other side of my window!!

Love Susan

BernieH said...

These are my favourite trees. They are just such a spectacular sight when in full bloom. You are so lucky to live in a place where they have thrived.

Jennifer said...

How beautiful! I have never seem jacarandas before now. Such a lovely shade of purple.

Unknown said...

Oh my stars these photos are gorgeous. I just love those beautiful trees. Sounds like a perfect way to spend the morning.

Hugs~

Unknown said...

Hello Sunshine, I am pleased to nominate you for a Beautiful Blogger Award because I love reading your blog! To accept all you have to do is tell us 7 things about yourself and nominate 15 other bloggers. You can find the BBA thumbnail on my blog for posting it on yours. Regards, STilleTTo

flowersandhome said...

This is AMAZING Karen!!! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Those purple trees hanging over the road, it looks almost unreal, soooo beautiful. I had no idea there was something like it. Those Jacaranda trees truly turn the place into something magical. No wonder there's something like a Jacaranda Festival with a queen and everything. Here we have a queen as well, a hop queen and her two matrons of honour, chosen every three years during hop festival, but there's no comparison possible really, if given the choice I think anyone would go for the Jacaranda festival and its queen etc.
Bye, have a fun time,
Marian

Deanna said...

Oh what beautiful views, and what a fun, fun festival for all to enjoy!!

sharon said...

what a beautiful blog!!

A Creative Grace said...

Wow, they are stunning aren't they? I'd be taking lots of pics! I love the first one and last especially, great work :)

Ignacio Santana said...

Gran reportaje con unos colores mágicos y preciosos!!!

Un gran abrazo...y gracias!!! ;)

ju-north said...

How wonderful! Never knew these trees existed!

Liz said...

Superb shots, Karen!! These bring back lovely memories of our year living in Grafton. I fell in love with Jacarandas back then!

Rena said...

That street is too beautiful for words! What a pleasure to be able to photograph...or even just to see...such a sight.

Kay said...

Stunning shots! These are such beautiful trees! I've seen a few in California (USA) but not in the Pacific Northwest where I live now. What a treat to see them in such profusion!

Dave said...

Those Jacaranda trees are really beautiful Karen.We have some here too but just in isolated singles spread about - Dave

Margaret said...

How lucky you are to live in such a glorious spot. Where I live we get apples and crabapple trees in bloom for a very brief time in May, and it too is beautiful. Do the Jacarandas have a smell? Out my window now I see the beginnings of snow falling and try to remind myself that spring will return!

Doug Hickok said...

Wow, superb color! What a beautiful way to show the spring, in glowing purple :^)

Jori said...

Beautiful! Now I am wanting purple eyelashes. :)

Anonymous said...

Wow those trees are an explosion of purple! So gorgeous! Thank you for sharing on Weekly Top Shot #55!

Findlay Wilde said...

Those trees are really nice. From Findlay

mick said...

Great photos of the jacarandas. They are beautiful trees. I have one (a small one!) planted in my garden but it has been so dry this year that it has not flowered at all.

Fun60 said...

I came across these trees for the first time last month when I visited Alice Springs. I had no idea of the name until some blogging friends informed me. I couldn't stop gazing at them. Such a magnificent colour. Thanks for sharing.

carol l mckenna said...

Wow! Incredible colors ~ Fantastic photography ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^

Indrani said...

This is so exciting having a festival for flowers! The color is soft and sweet.

Andrea said...

Those jacaranda-lined streets are absolutely stunning. I saw some flowering jacaranda in Sydney years ago, but i can't seem to get seeds, which i am not sure if will grow in our hot tropics. The memories came back to me now, and i really love them/.

Dan said...

Gorgeous tree and colour. You did a wonderful job capturing images of these trees!

Purplicious! :)

Cat said...

They are so beautiful in flower aren't they. Your town must look so pretty at the moment. I love your first photo of them lining a street:)

Lisa said...

Just Amazing. wow. That is incredible . Wonderful photography. You live in a country that is so awesome.

Ekaterina Trayt said...

Wow, this tree is incredibly pretty! I've never even heard of it before, how come it's not as famous as sakura?

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

That's a good question Ekaterina, maybe because jacarandas grow in warmer climates and would be unsuitable for much of Europe and North America.

Anne (cornucopia) said...

Wow! What a heavenly site to behold!

Anonymous said...

hi Karen, thank you for sharing such beautiful photographs of purple trees ... there are none here where i live, but the virtual blessing is enough to make my heart thump with joy! stunning capture! --- April

satakieli said...

Beautiful photos, the Jacaranda are absolutely breathtaking! Thanks so much for sharing with the Nurture Photography Challenge :)

diane b said...

Just absolutely beautiful. So many everywhere. I would love to know which town, I'm guessing Grafton.

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