Saturday, June 15, 2013

An Early Winter Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day ... June 15, 2013


June is our early winter month, and it seems that our dry season has now begun.  We've had lots of big blue-sky days of late.  The rainfall total so far this month has amounted to almost nothing, and this is likely to continue now until at least early or mid-December.


So far this month we've only had 1.4mm  (that's 0.1 of an inch).
Last year from the beginning to mid-June 2012, we had received 4.4 mm (0.6 of an inch).
Back in mid-June 2011, we had received 15.4 mm  (0.5 of an inch) over the month.
By mid-June 2010, 21.8 mm  (0.8 of an inch)
By mid-June 2009, 0.4 mm  (which is way less than even 0.1 of an inch).



So it seems there's been a return to the very dry June conditions of four years ago, which is pretty much when I first became more interested and dedicated to gardening on this property.

Our total rainfall so far this year is 553.4  (21.8 ins) over 50 days.
Total to end of June 2012 was 1185.2 mm  (46.7 ins) over 65 days.
Total to the end of June 2011 was 1336.0 mm  (52.6 ins) over 76 days.
Total to the end of June 2010 was 1221.4 mm  (48.1 ins) over 77 days.
To the end of June 2009, 1691.6 mm  (66.6 ins) over 76 days.

On the whole, this year has been one of the driest so far, and our dry season has only just begun!!!  The poor wallabies are now reduced to digging deep to find grass roots because of the lack of green grass atop the ground.


Not only are the large 'grassed' areas looking decidedly brown and unappetising, my garden plants have responded to the drier conditions by not flourishing quite as much as previous years, and not producing as many blooms by this time of the year.


Compared to previous years, there are quite a few absences from the Bloom Day list.  In a region that's characterized by only two seasons really, the wet and the dry, we do get used to the slight changes in the length and intensity of these seasons though.

Right now, there are no trees showing any blooms whatsoever,


 apart from the one lonely flower spray on one of the deciduous Plumerias.


There are however some buds appearing on the two tall Corymbia torellianas or Cadaghi Gums that grow beside the concrete hill driveway.  Last year they were already covered in flowers by this time.

There are flowers on some of the shrubs however, and whilst there aren't as many as last year, they are blooming at the same time.


The Calliandra haematocephalas both have a few flowers here and there.


One of the Duranta repens shrubs down the front driveway has had a long flowering cycle and still has lots of flower sprays on show.  The other Durantas, which were decimated by Cyclone Yasi a couple of years ago, are still only about one-third of their previous size and have very short flowering cycles at the moment.


The Euphorbia leucocephala or Snowflake Bush always blooms at this time of year, but again compared to this time last year, there are only a few of the white bracts and little white flowers to be seen so far this year.

The Euphorbia pulcherrimas or Poinsettias growing in the tiered garden beds are usually starting to show the first coloured bracts by this time, but they're a no-show at the moment.  The lovely Justicia brandegeana which also grows in the top tier of the tiered garden beds is usually always blooming, but the Agile Wallabies have been feasting on it and the poor thing looks like a much skinnier and uglier version of itself, with almost no leaves and absolutely no flowers.


There are always blooms on the year-round bloomers, the Hibiscus.  This is my favourite, Hibiscus schizopetalus or Japanese Lantern.


The only blooms to be found in the front tiered garden beds are the stark white flowers on the Pentas, the last remaining flower spikes on the Salvia madrensis, a bloom or two on the invasive weed Clitoria ternata which is scrambling through the Russelia, and a few of the unusual flowers on the Dianthera nodosa.


There are quite a few flower sprays on some of the Dracaenas and Cordylines, which are found in the tiered garden beds as well as out in the courtyard garden.

The courtyard garden usually has the most colourful blooms at this time of year, but I've been rather neglectful of the container plants out there this year and haven't spent as much time potting up lots of annuals or perennials for the winter-spring display.  I'm really missing all the usual colour.

At least there are some flowers ...


... like the gorgeous faces of the Violas and the striking flowerheads of the Celosia argentea and Celosia cristata.


In pots out in the courtyard there's also the brilliant Angelonia angustifolias, which bloom forever, as does the Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender, the Salvia splendens 'Vistas Mix' and Cleome 'Senorita Rosalita'.  There are also flowers on the Ixora 'Twilight Glow', Turnera subulata, the double white Impatiens walleriana and the Schlumbergera or Zygocactus.


Thank goodness for the cheery Marigolds too.

Elsewhere around the property, if you look carefully, you might also spot other blooms on the ...


Bougainvillea, Russelia (where the Yellow Honeyeater has been feasting lately), Galphimia glauca and Vriesea Bromeliad.

I'm joining Carol for her fantastic garden blog meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day


40 comments:

  1. What an amazing garden you have Bernie, thanks for visiting and leaving a message. I can recognise quite a lot of your flowers, having grown them at some time as pot plants, to see them growing to their proper height is wonderful. I just love the blue of your Duranta repens, such a beautiful colour.

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    1. Thanks for visiting Pauline. Durantas do indeed have the most beautiful flowers. It's a shame about their spiny branches though. It makes pruning the devils most uninviting!

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  2. Dear Bernie ~ In spite of your dry conditions, your gardens still produce much beauty. It is always a pleasure to visit your gardens and I leave refreshed and inspired.

    Hugs ~ FlowerLady

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    1. So glad you always enjoy your visits, Lorraine. Thank goodness there's always a bloom or two to be found no matter the conditions. I'd be lost without my flowers!

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  3. Stunning stuff as ever Bernie, the one thing we have in common at the moment...we are both growing the same marigolds !!!

    Bill S

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    1. I just have to have some Violas or Pansies, Marigolds of Nasturtiums at this time of year, Bramble. I think I need to get to the nursery to get a Nasturtium or two!!

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  4. I still adore your garden and the range of flowers that bloom att he same time in your winter and my summer....fabulous even with a dry season...we are very wet this year after a drought last year....everyone seems happy in the garden right now especially my weeds.

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    1. Thanks so much, Donna. The container garden provides my flower need during the dry season here. I'm planning on adding a few more pots out in the courtyard next weekend, just to add a little more colour.

      Sounds like you've got a bit of weeding to do soon. It's amazing just how quickly the weeds come back after a bit of rain, let alone a whole lot of rain!

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  5. We're growing many of the same flowers, in opposite seasons. One Duranta here did not die back over the winter and has bloomed for months to the delight of butterflies. I have white Pentas, too. Pale pink is my fav. Well, maybe red Pentas. All of them.

    I just realized I failed to show a glorious Rusellia for Bloom Day, lol.

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    1. I'm like you NellHean. I really love Pentas. I have a few of them growing in various spots. Unfortunately I did lose a number after the the long dry last year. Time to replace them I htink.

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  6. So many beautiful flowers in your winter garden! Here it's been raining so much that some plants are struggling with the wet. Happy bloom day.

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    1. Spurge, I hope your garden gets a little respite from the heavy rain soon. We experience very heavy monsoonal downpours here during our summers, and I know just how hard this can be on gardens.

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  7. bloom day is always very enjoyable. the amazing color and diversity is always well worth looking into. Thanks for the color!

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    1. It is fabulous being able to tour the world and see what's blooming in the various corners every month. Thanks for dropping by Ignorant Gardener.

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  8. Your garden is very beautiful despite the dry conditions. I do hope you'll get some rain so that the poor animals will have some grass to eat.

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    1. Gunilla, it's not likely we'll get rain for quite a few months now. Our dry season can be quite long some years, so we'll see how it goes this year. The wallabies will retreat back into the hills to find grass when everything around here dies off.

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  9. So sorry about the lack of rain -- nothing is more dispiriting to wallabies and gardeners alike. That Euphorb leucocephala is new to me and looks very interesting. Lots of beautiful and durable plants to learn about from your garden.

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    1. Denise, we're used to very low or no rainfall at this time of year. It will continue for a number of months now. Our dry season is part and parcel of living in this area of the tropics. Hopefully it won't be a very long one this year!

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  10. Whatever the season, your garden is always beautiful!

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    1. Thank you Mara, for your kind comment. I'm not as pleased with the garden right now as I could be, but that's really my own fault for not being able to keep up with the usual planting of annuals in the late Autumn.

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  11. That first photo of the butterfly is so sweet. I know it must really appreciate your garden and all its blooms in such dry weather. Poor wallaby! I know how no rainfall can be discouraging. Every year I worry about our rainfall, too, but it is not as bad as the either wet or dry season that you have.

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    1. HolleyGarden, there are just a few butterflies around at the moment. Not quite as many as we get when things are much lusher of course, but it's great to see them all through the year.

      We get used to the cycle of wet and dry. It certainly keeps things interesting.

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  12. Your garden is looking just lovely, Bernie: so much colour.

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    1. Thanks Marisa. We haven't had quite as much rain in the first half of the year as you've had down there. I was in Brissie just recently and the place looked so green and verdant compared to up here in Brownsville.

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  13. What a lot of blooms!
    Very pretty!
    I especially like the butterfly on the Hibiscus.
    Have a wonderful week-end!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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    1. I appreciate you dropping by and leaving your kind comment, thanks Lea.

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  14. Your garden is so full of blooms despite the drought! I love the celosia and I have several in my beds. Reminds me of my grandmother. Happy GBBD!
    Brenda

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    1. Brenda, I have a real fondness for Celosias and for the same reason. I remember them in my Grandma's garden long ago.

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  15. simply beautifully captured shots...lovely!

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    1. Well thank you very much, Kalyan, you're very kind.

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  16. Did you say there wasn't much bloomimg in your garden?? Wow the photos say different.
    You may not have as many blooms as usual, but you have still got a LOTT!!
    Beautiful blooms!!
    Weather patterns worldwide have changed, and it's almost a hit and miss guessing game that we're playing with our gardens these days.

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    1. I guess I just miss the usual load of blooms that I have at this time of the year, Virginia. There are a few flowers around, but I'm just used to seeing far more in June, especially out in my courtyard garden.

      I think the cycles of weather patterns certainly keep it interesting for all gardeners.

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  17. Bernie, whatever the season, I enjoy visiting your garden.

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    1. You're so kind, thank you Jennifer. Ditto.

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  18. Beautiful as always Bernie. Lovely photos.

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    1. Thanks, Jayne. Hopefully next month I'll have a few more flowers to share.

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  19. Wow! So much blooming in your garden! I love the way you group your flowers together. It gives me some ideas just now. My favorite is the snowflake bush (Euphorbia) and I wish I had one.
    About that wallaby....you got really close to it. I'm sure you have had this asked many times, but are you inclined to feed them during drought or is this not the best idea?
    David/:0)

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    1. Thanks for dropping by David. That Snowflake Bush is not located in the best spot but it's almost impossible to move at this stage. It doesn't put on quite as spectacular a display as it could if it were located in a sunnier, more open spot, but I still love it.

      As for feeding the wallabies ... no we're never tempted to feed the wallabies, not even during the worst of dry seasons. We don't ever want them becoming reliant on us for food. They thrive here because they've survived our dry season conditions for the longest time, so I know they are better off looking after themselves.

      The same goes for the birdlife too. We don't ever put out feeders for the birds. We would much rather have them feeding off the blooms around the garden and out in the bushland.

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  20. I thought you would say that. We have wild raccoons in the city and they are very cute, but our wildlife people say we should never feed them. They live off of earthworms and bugs most of the time. I never feed our squirrels or bird, but I do give them drinking places in our garden.
    David/:0)

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  21. Wow! These pics are stunning! Thank you for sharing. It's wonderful to see your part of the world! Love the Wallaby...are they aggressive? They look so cute :)

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