Plants grown in Australia flower at various time throughout the year. Thus at Christmas we have many flowers in our gardens and the bush in contrast to the bare trees and gardens of the northern hemisphere. Some of the spectacular plants are shown.

Received an email 30 November 2005 :"one of the other biggies of Christmas is the sound of cicadas on a hot day, all part of the process of growing up in a hot climate.
A cicadas according to my dictionary is "Stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings; male has drum-like organs for producing a high-pitched drone."