Our Tropical Wintertime Draws To A Close ... My Dry Tropics Journal ... End-of-Winter, Week 33, August 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 33

This week's weather:

Seasons:  end-of-Winter & Dry Season
Daytime Temps:  20°C - 29°C            
Night Time Temps:  8°C - 19°C
Humidity Levels: around 70%     
Hours of daylight:  11 1/2 hours
Rainfall:  0 mm (0 inches)

🌿 August in the Tropics

As we approach the close of winter, August has delivered the gentle rhythm of tropical late-winter weather that we've come to expect.  Nights have mostly hovered around the average for the month, with an occasional cooler evening reminding us that winter still lingers.  Daytime temperatures have been steady, mostly typical for August, though a refreshing cool day of 20°C and a few warmer touches of 28°C have provided some variety.

☀️ Weather Watch

The past weeks have been a dance between bright, sunny days and the occasional overcast spell.  Some days shift from cheerful sunshine to dreary clouds in a matter of hours.

Unfortunately, these grey spells have brought no rain, leaving the garden to contend with the drying effects of blustery winds and extended hours of sun.  Consistent deep watering has therefore become an essential part of weekly gardening routines. 

Even so, the occasional overcast day offers a quiet reprieve - a perfect opportunity to spend hours outdoors, tending to the garden and giving the new plantings a healthy start.

🌱 New Garden Projects Settling In

Both of the new garden spaces are now fully planted, mulched, and beginning to flourish.  (See the last post to discover why I began creating these new spaces: New Gardening Projects ) Adjustments to the dry season watering schedule have been necessary to ensure the newcomers thrive until the wet season arrives at the end of the year.

The new garden space at the end of the driveway

The new rock garden space near the old chook pen

🌱 Old Garden Project Progressing Nicely

Pergola Rock Garden - Phase Two

The back section of the rock garden space under the pergola has entered its second phase.  Some original Coleus, that were planted in the ground, struggled with frequent mealy bug infestations and were ultimately removed.  The area now features the addition of potted Coleus and potted Begonias adding renewed colour and vibrancy.  Having these plants potted, instead of planted in the ground, means possible future treatment and/or removal will be a whole lot easier for me.

I'm finding the transformation far more pleasing, with the pergola garden now looking lush and lively.

🌼 Shade House Blossoms

Recently I've been very busy revamping the hanging baskets in my shade house garden - adding fresh coir linings, replenishing the potting mix and planting new flowering plants - in preparation for a springtime show.

• Fifteen new hanging baskets have been planted up with new babies and will soon brighten the shade house garden space.
• Most baskets are filled with Impatiens hawkeri  (New Guinea Impatiens).  

Newly planted hanging baskets in the shade house garden

These vibrant plants are a perfect match for Townsville's warm, humid climate.  Thriving in partial shade, they bring a splash of colour among the greenery of the ferns, and their moderate water needs make them ideal for our dry tropics conditions.  I can't wait to see them mature and fill out the baskets.

🐝 Life in the Garden

Even in these drier winter days, the garden buzzes with life.  Native bees, butterflies and other insects flit from flower to flower, keeping the ecosystem balanced and healthy.  Their presence is a beautiful reminder of how interconnected garden life really is.

😟 Ecological Threat

Meanwhile, on-going efforts to manage Anoplolepis gracilipes (Yellow Crazy Ants) here in the southern suburbs continue to be a critical biosecurity priority for our Townsville City Council.  Treatment programs, running since October last year, use helicopters, drones and ground crews to distribute bait, designed to be taken back to the colony by worker ants in order to target the queen, and ultimately the entire colony.

According to the flyer distributed to all households last year:  "Yellow Crazy Ants form super-colonies consisting of multiple queens supporting multiple nests and millions of workers.  

They out-compete other ants and spray formic acid on other prey, decimating biodiversity."  

Our City Council considers that multiple treatments will be needed over several years to control each of the infestations, so we will be getting very used to the sound of helicopters and drones in our area every month for the foreseeable future.

Over the past two weeks, our area has witnessed yet more aerial and ground treatments, reminding us that vigilance is needed to preserve local biodiversity.

There was a helicopter buzzing around last week, dropping baits, 

and then this week a drone carried on with more targeted bait dropping.  Members of the Yellow Crazy Ant program ground crew also visited our place yesterday to further continue the treatment.  

🌸 Highlights Around The Garden:

• Agave Bloom:  I've been delighted to see one of the large Agaves blooming this year.  It was the first in the group to bloom and right now there are loads of little pups (bulbils) forming along the flower spike.  The mother plant is dying and throwing out lots of new little babies to take her place.  I'm just letting them fall to the ground to see if any of them will survive the dry season and grow roots before our harsh summer rolls around at the end of the year.  Given that this section of the garden only survives on rain from Mother Nature, it will be interesting to see if any of the pups will take off.

• Splashes of Colour:  There's a bit of pink splashed here and there in various garden spaces - Adenium obesum (Desert Rose), Calliandra surinamensis (Powderpuff), Ixora and Kalanchoe.

• Birdwatcing:  One of the things I love most about my place in the world is the variety of birdlife I'm privileged to see almost on a daily basis.  This past week I've noticed a few beautiful visitors during my wanderings around the place - 

Top row L - R:  A Coracina papuensis (White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike), and a Lichenostomus flavus (Yellow Honeyeater)
Bottom row L - R:  a female Sphecotheres viridis (Australasian Figbird) and Dacelo novaeguineae (Laughing Kookaburra).

🌿 Looking Ahead

This end-of-winter period is a time of quiet growth and preparation.  The garden continues to show resilience, and the new plantings promise vibrant colour and life as we move closer to spring.  

Until next time,
🌸 Happy gardening from the dry tropics!

New Gardening Projects ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal ... Mid-Winter, Week 30, July 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 30

This week's weather:

Seasons:  mid-Winter & Dry Season  (also Bushfire Season)
Daytime Temps:  23°C - 27°C            
Night Time Temps:  13°C - 21°C
Humidity Levels: around 70%     
Hours of daylight:  11 hours
Rainfall:  5 mm ( inches)

Dry Season Dilemmas

After a refreshing couple of weeks away down south, I returned home to the expected sight of slightly droopy, thirsty plants. We are now deep into the dry season here in the northern tropics, and my short absence resulted in the interruption of the usual watering routine. No real harm done, but the wilting leaves were a gentle reminder of how crucial a regular watering schedule is during this long dry spell.

Over the past week, we’ve had mostly rather dreary, overcast days and a touch of rain - not enough to soak into the soil, but just enough to rinse the dust from the foliage and perk up the potted plants in the courtyard. These small refreshes are common in our dry season, offering a visual lift more than a true drink for the garden beds.

A Bittersweet Bloom

One of the first things that caught my eye upon returning was the stunning display of my beloved Tabebuia impetiginosa, standing proud in full bloom. The frilly pink trumpet flowers were simply glorious, cascading from its bare branches like nature’s own confetti. This tree, now about 30 years old and reaching a height of around 30 feet, shares its corner with a towering Eucalyptus platyphylla (Poplar Gum). The two have coexisted in their tight spot for decades, creating a layered and dramatic canopy.

However, a couple of months ago, a hefty branch from the Eucalyptus came crashing down, damaging one side of the Tabebuia quite severely.  I wrote about this event in a previous post (follow this link:  The Start Of The Dry Season). It took a huge effort to remove most of the fallen limb, but the largest chunk was simply too heavy to budge - so I’ve decided to leave it and make something whimsical out of it: a gnome home. 

It’s my first foray into garden fun and frivolity, and I must admit, the idea has grown on me.  It's a work in progress.

But my joy in the Tabebuia’s flowering was cut short by a discovery that made my heart sink. High up in the branches was the tell-tale sign of an arboreal termite nest, complete with mud tubes snaking along the limbs. We've always known termites were in the area - we’ve had yearly professional treatments ever since we moved here - but this is the first time I’ve seen signs in a major tree. The fear is that the termites will hollow out the trunk from within, weakening it until it eventually crashes down - right across our entrance driveway.

As heart-breaking as it is, the Tabebuia impetiginosa will have to be removed. Its beauty, when in bloom, will be very sorely missed.

A Generous Gift and New Projects

On a brighter note, a kind-hearted neighbour recently offered me a bounty of plants that he needed removed from his property - an offer far too good to refuse! Inspired by the influx of new greenery, I’ve launched two exciting new garden bed projects.

✨ The first area is at the end the long entrance driveway, where tall Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, also known by its synonym Dypsis lutescens (Golden Palms), and a native Planchonia careya (Cocky Apple Tree) have thrived, but the understorey has been largely bare. 

With a bit of effort—clearing out leaf litter and enriching the soil - I’ve now created space for ferns, Neomarica longifolia (Walking Iris), Tradescantia spathacea, and Philodendrons. These plants are all wonderfully low-maintenance once established, perfect for that dappled-light zone beneath the palms.

🌿 The second project is tucked in beside the old chook pens, underneath the sprawling branches of a Tabebuia heterophylla. Once again, the process began with clearing out weeds and other debris.  My dearest then hauled loads of rocks up from the bush paddock to create small terraced rock garden spaces over the slope.  I then began layering fresh garden soil in preparation for planting.  This area is shady and peaceful, with great potential to become a lush hideaway garden.  There needs to be more soil added here before I start planting.

Yes, there are two enormous fallen trees lying across the old chook pens behind the newly created garden beds!  I've told the story of that event previously (follow this link:  Challenges Continue), and obviously we have not removed that mess just yet - it's a 'to-do' project waiting for funds and resources.

Highlights Around The Garden:

During my wanderings this past week, I've taken real pleasure in observing the quiet activity of our garden visitors and pollinators.  The courtyard garden is particularly vibrant at the moment, with flowering potted plants drawing in a delightful crowd.

Here's a native Delta arcuata (Mud Dauber Wasp) delicately foraging through the Pentas blooms.

A flash of iridescent blue reveals a native Amegilla cingulata (Blue-banded Bee) darting around the Salvia, diligently collecting pollen.

I'm delighted at the progress of the garden space under the pergola - the rockery - out in the courtyard garden.  It's been an on-going project since the start of this year.  One of the latest changes has been the removal of all the bedraggled remnants of the previously planted Torenias, and the addition of lots of Dianthus.  These attractive frilly, fringed flowers are loving their position in the partially shaded rockery under the pergola.

Adding a splash of cheer to the courtyard garden are the Pansies, their bright and expressive little faces brightening up this corner near the rockery section.

Another delightful sight, out in the shade house garden, is the Begonia nelumbiifolia coming into bloom.  this elegant plant, with its crisp white flowers, had a rough start to the year after being decimated by grasshoppers, but it has made a remarkable recovery.  It's now looking much healthier.

Looking Ahead

While losing the pink Tabebuia impetiginosa is a real blow, the opportunity to plant anew has brought some much-needed optimism. The garden, as always, is a place of change—loss and growth intertwined. With every new bed and blooming plant, the story continues.

Until next time,
🌸 Happy gardening from the dry tropics!

My Garden Starts To Dry Out ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal ... Beginning of Winter, Week 26, June 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 26

This week's weather:

Seasons:  Beginning of Winter & Dry Season  (also Bushfire Season)
Daytime Temps:  24°C - 27°C            
Night Time Temps:  15°C - 19°C
Humidity Levels: around 70%     
Hours of daylight:  11 hours
Rainfall:   2 mm (0.07 inches)

June In The Northern Tropics

Here in the northern tropics of Australia, June heralds the official start of our rather mild wintertime - and what a beautiful time of year it is. Our winter months are typically dominated by glorious weather: crisp, dry air, mostly fine days, and daytime temperatures rarely falling below 21°C or climbing much above 27°C.  It's a welcome relief after the intense heat and humidity of summer.

The Shift To The Dry Season

We're also firmly stepping into the dry season, which in Townsville usually stretches from May through to October. It's been quite a year so far weather-wise. The wet season at the start of the year was record-breaking, leaving our region with an astonishing 2,532 mm (about 100 inches) of rain by the end of June - already smashing past the average annual rainfall of just 901 mm.

There is now a noticeable browning off happening in the front yard

But this month has brought a clear transition: only 25 mm of rain has fallen in June, slightly above the monthly average but a sure sign we've moved into the drier months. Around the garden and in the surrounding bushland, things are drying out fast. Grass cover is browning off, and native trees are starting to drop their leaves in preparation for the leaner months ahead.

Bushfire Season Preparations

With the dry comes another reality of life in the tropics: bushfire season. Our City Council began hazard reduction burns late in May, carefully managing fuel loads to reduce bushfire risk. At home, we've started work on creating a fire break along our bushland fence line - a yearly ritual that's essential for safety.

Garden Watering Routines Begin

While the couple of very light showers this month were welcome, it's clear that moisture has disappeared quickly from the soil. I've already resumed my dry season watering routine, especially for the younger plants that have started to look a little stressed.

Fortunately, the cooler daytime temperatures - sitting comfortably between 24 and 27°C - mean that a good hour of watering every week is enough to revive the garden beds.

The potted plants, however, are another story!  The courtyard and shade house garden areas will now demand a more intensive watering schedule as the dry season progresses.

Garden Jobs Completed

Once the driveway had dried out completely, we started filling up some holes with road base

The gardening workload has eased significantly over the past six weeks, which has been a nice change of pace. One of the biggest tasks we tackled was repairing parts of our entrance driveway. The wet season had left it riddled with erosion, so we spread fresh road base to even out some of the lumpy, bumpy surface leading into our property.

My shade house garden

The shade house garden also got some much-needed attention. The pathways and tiled area had become slippery and overgrown thanks to rampant algae and weeds. Everything was whipper-snipped and then power washed, transforming the area into a safe and inviting space once again. It's wonderful to be able to stroll through the shade house without fear of losing your footing!

Signs Of Winter In The Garden

Along with the change to milder weather, winter reveals itself subtly around the garden. On my wander today, I spotted:

- Lagerstroemia speciosa, commonly known as the Queen Crepe Myrtle: Leaves changing colour

- Lagerstroemia indica, commonly known as Crepe Myrtle: Branches covered in seed pods

- Koelreuteria elegans subsp. formosana, commonly known as the Golden Rain Tree: The three-sided papery capsules are browning off

- Euphorbia leucocephala, commonly known as the Snowflake Bush: In delicate bloom

- Iris domestica / Belamcanda chinensis, commonly known as the Leopard Lily or Blackberry Lily: Seed pods dotting the ends of the stems

Highlights Around The Garden:

• My Aloe vera plants have surprised me by blooming for the very first time - a lovely splash of soft orange among the greens.

• The Jasmine that rambles over one end of our pergola is still flowering, infusing the courtyard garden with its gentle, sweet fragrance both day and night.

Top left and centre:  Pentas
Top right:  Justicia carnea and Tabernaemontana corymbosa
Bottom Row:  Plectranthus and Gerbera

• I'm also thoroughly loving all the splashes of crisp white blooms scattered here and there, adding a fresh brightness to the garden's winter palette.

Potted Impatiens in the courtyard garden

• All of the potted Impatiens have recovered beautifully from their wet season drowning and are now looking healthy and vibrant once more.

Looking Ahead

Oriental Lily bulbs pushing through and sweet Viola faces on show

One of the reasons I love this time of the year so much is that it's the perfect time to start adding little pots of flowering annuals and to plant out bulbs and perennial seedlings. As winter progresses, there will be more fabulous colour appearing in both the courtyard and shade house garden spaces as a result. I'm looking forward to the bursts of blooms that will brighten these cooler months and carry a touch of springtime joy into the tropics.

A tropical wintertime sunrise

Until next time,

🌸 Happy gardening from the northern dry tropics!