This month’s blog will be very brief for a number of reasons, the first one being that it’s already 3rd February and my time is rather limited. Another reason is that I’ve put quite a bit of detail in the captions on the Picasa Album for February and hardly need to add much more. So the Album has most of the information.
The weather – whether we like it or not!
After a VERY hot opening to the month, we welcomed some days of rain but weren’t all that happy about the cold wind and wintry weather that followed. A few more extremely hot days were, at last, followed by a bit of moderation – some beautiful weather where we could enjoy the garden, the beach and the evenings. By the time that came along though, the garden had been horribly dried out by the heat. I don’t think we’ll get much improvement there until a change n the season.
Casualties and Survivors
When I wander around the garden and see dead things where once there were beautiful flowers I sometimes feel a bit discouraged but this is when the previous month’s blogs and Albums show their value. Looking back, I can see that it has happened before and things do regenerate. I’m also reminded that many shrubs and trees HAVE survived and continue to thrive with or without water. Of course, there’s also the fact that a number of Australian plants have a limited life span and don’t last more than three or four years. Lots of my plants have self-sown and I have also been able to strike quite a few. As a last resort (shock horror!) I may have to actually BUY a few replacements. May general aim, though, is to encourage my garden to survive through self sufficiency.
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| Here's the Bush Garden in September. |
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| And here it is In January. |
For all the above reasons, I’ve put some before and after pics on the Picasa album which show the dramatic differences between the seasons.
Vegies
Very little vegie planting this year – just two tomato plants which have been producing lots of green fruit and, as of the last week in January, they have been colouring up and I’ve picked about a dozen so far. The blackbirds like them too and I needed to enclose them in netting, otherwise the pesky birds were in there pecking them before I got there.
Three Golden Globe pumpkins are at last producing very small fruit – full size ones will be quite some time off I think. And that’s about it.
Go to the Picasa album here and you'll see it all in pictures!
It's amazing the effect that searing dry heat will do in such a short time Gillian, but I really like your bush garden ... even in January! A lot of my garden shrubs still have a lot of growing to do. I'm looking forward to seeing my Grevillea 'Coconut Ice' in flower; hopefully soon!
ReplyDeleteHi Leanne,
DeleteFancy me having a 'follower'! I began this blog initialy as a personal record but I find that sometimes I'm writing it for some vague, unknown person 'out there'. Must be you!
I was feeling very despondent when I saw so many things dying - first from too much water last year and now from the heat - but I guess that's Australia. And, yes, I still get pleasure out of wandering through the bush garden - "even in January" as you say. Good luck with the Coconut Ice Grevillea - they are beautiful flowers.