After The Deluge Of Rain ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal, Late Summer, Week 7, February 2025

 Garden Journal Entry - Week 7

Seasons:  Late-Summer & Wet Season
Daytime Temps:  29°C - 34°C            
Night Time Temps: 23°C - 25°C
Humidity Levels: 60 to 90%     
Hours of daylight:  13 hours
Rainfall:  168 mm  (6 inches)

Reviving The Garden After Heavy Rain:  Embracing Sunshine and Tackling Weeds

After almost two weeks of relentless heavy rain, the garden finally had a short reprieve this week with two days of clear blue skies and scorching heat. 

 

The first bit of debris moved off the driveway -  thankfully everything else was much smaller in size

The cessation of rain prompted a flurry of garden chores, starting with clearing the debris that's fallen from trees, palms and shrubs down our driveway during the endless days of rain.  Tree branches, large and small, palm fronds and shrub remnants are now neatly piled ready for loading onto the trailer and then disposal.

An explosion of weeds in a section of the garden beds along the driveway

The deluge didn't just leave behind debris, but also ushered in a sudden proliferation of weeds.  The saturated soil became a fertile ground for weed seeds, unleashing an invasion across unprotected garden beds that sit on either side of our long entrance driveway.  Fortunately, areas mulched earlier in the summer remain blissfully weed-free, a testament to the benefits of proactive wet season garden care.

Armed with determination and a good pair of gloves, I've embarked on a weed-pulling crusade, focusing first on the long driveway beds where the soil's moisture aids in uprooting these unwanted intruders with relative ease.  Each tug ensures thorough root removal, crucial for preventing their return.

The hours spent painstakingly extracting weeds will just be the beginning.  Soon, a fresh layer of thick organic mulch will be laid to stifle any future weed growth by.  I always use sugar cane mulch as I've found it the most successful mulch for my garden beds.  It's a dual-purpose solution that not only deters weeds by blocking sunlight, but also enriches soil health over time.

As I continue this battle against post-monsoon rain challenges, I'm reminded of the rewards of nurturing it through every season's trials.  With each task completed, from debris clearing to weed management and mulch application, the garden edges closer to reclaiming its flourishing state.

Garden Joy:  Blooms, Perfume and Butterflies.

Despite the challenges of post-rain garden maintenance, there are still so many moments of joy to be found.  Nature has a way of rewarding persistence, and right now my garden is offering up its own sweet reminders of beauty and resilience.

The Jasmine draping over one corner of the pergola is in full bloom, releasing it exquisite fragrance both day and night.  

Every gentle breeze carries its scent, mingling with the heady perfume of the Murraya paniculata shrubs, which are also bursting with flowers.  Walking through the garden has become a delight for the senses, with these intoxicating aromas filling the air.

A particularly exciting sight is one of my Agave desmettiana plants, which I planted four years ago, now sending up a towering flower spike.  Each day it grows taller, and tiny blooms have begun to emerge along the stalk - an impressive display and the first ever from the Agaves.

In the shade house garden, the courtyard garden, and other outdoor garden beds, an array of vibrant flowers and lush foliage provide even more visual delight.  

Impatiens, Crossandra, Pentas and Duranta are in full bloom, attracting swarms of butterflies.

  

The garden is alive with movement as these delicate creatures flit from flower to flower, revelling in the abundant nectar feast.  These moments remind me why I love tending to my garden.  The fragrance, the colours, the life - each element brings its own reward, making all the effort worthwhile.

A Fascinating Fungal Wonderland In The Garden

The recent deluge of rain and lingering moisture has created the perfect conditions for an unexpected but captivating garden phenomenon - fungi!  All around the garden, an incredible variety of mushrooms and other fungal forms have emerged, each one more intriguing than the last.

Some have appeared nestled in the potting mix of various potted plants, while others have pushed their way through layers of damp leaf litter.  A few even cling to dead branches, slowly breaking them down in nature's quiet cycle of renewal.

I find fungi absolutely fascinating - their delicate yet resilient structures, their wide-ranging shapes and textures, and their role in the garden ecosystem.  No two seem exactly alike, and every discovery feels like uncovering a tiny hidden worlds.  Some stand tall like miniature umbrellas, while others spread like soft velvet across decaying wood.

Though they may not have the showy colours of flowers or the fragrance of blossoms, fungi add their own kind of beauty to the garden.  They are a reminder that even in decay, life finds a way to thrive, creating something unique and wonderful in the process.

Post Monsoon Garden Care Tips

After enduring heavy rainfall, many gardens emerge looking worse for wear, leaving gardeners wondering where to begin the restoration process.  I've followed this guide to post-monsoon garden care for quite a long time now to help revive and rejuvenate the garden spaces on my property.  I thought I'd share it just in case others might find it helpful.

-  Drainage Check For Pots And Beds.  One of the first tasks post-monsoon is to assess the drainage of the pots and garden beds.  Ensure pots have adequate drainage and tip off excess water from saucers to prevent water-logging.  If soil remains soggy long after rain, consider re-potting with a better draining mix to prevent root rot.

-  Root Health Inspection.  Inspect plants for signs of root rot, especially in potted plants and those in garden beds prone to water-logging.  Look for exposed roots due to erosion and monitor plants showing drooping or discoloured foliage, which could indicate root issues needing immediate attention.

-  Weed Control.  Heavy rains often bring a surge in weed growth as the moist soil is the perfect germinating environment.  Remove weeds promptly by hand while the soil is soft and moist.  This prevents them from establishing deep roots and competing with your plants for nutrients and water.

-  Debris Clean-Up.  Clear away general debris like fallen leaves, seed pods and branches that can accumulate after heavy rainfall.  The tidying up not only improves the aesthetics but also reduces potential hiding places for pests and diseases.

-  Soil Aeration.  Compacted soil can hinder water, nutrient and oxygen absorption by plant rots.  Use a garden fork to gently aerate the soil while it's still moist post-rain.  This helps create air pockets and improves overall soil structure for healthier plant growth.

-  Assess Fertilizer And Pest Control Needs.  After a deluge, plants may benefit from supplemental nutrients to recover from stress and replenish lost minerals.  Consider using fertilizers suited to the plants' needs and apply fungicides or insecticides if there's a risk of fungal infections or pest outbreaks exacerbated by damp conditions.

-  Evaluate Plant Health.  Check on plants showing signs of stress post-rain.  Trim back damaged or overgrown parts to promote new growth and maintain plant vigour.  This pruning also enhances air circulation, reducing the risk of fungal diseases.

Taking these steps in the garden post-monsoon can help restore vitality and ensure your plants thrive despite the challenges of heavy rainfall.  By nurturing the garden back to health with these tips, you'll enjoy a flourishing and resilient garden throughout the remainder of the year.

The Arrival Of The Wet Season ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal, Mid to Late Summer, Weeks 5 & 6, February 2025

For reasons that will become apparent with further reading, I'm posting one journal entry for the two weeks from Jan 26 to Feb 8.

 

Garden Journal Entry - Week 5 

Seasons:  Mid-Summer & Wet Season

Daytime Temps:  26°C - 35°C              ("Quite a range!", you might say.  Yes, you are correct.  Read on.)

Night Time Temps: 23°C - 27°C

Humidity Levels: between 70% & 100%     

Hours of daylight:  13 hours

Rainfall:  123 mm (4 inches)  from 9.00 am Sunday to 9.00 am Friday (the last day of January), 

then .... 284 mm (11 inches) from 9.00 Friday to 9.00 Saturday 

and then .... another 260 mm (10 inches) from 9.00 Saturday to 9.00 am Sunday!!!!!!   

Wet season is always an interesting time for gardeners, but this year, after a rather benign start, it's suddenly become quite a challenging period for both plants and gardeners alike.  Let's see how things changed.

The Story of January 2025:  From Dry Heat To A Deluge

January 2025 was a month of extremes.  For most of the month, we experienced relentlessly hot, humid and dry conditions, with daytime highs running about 2°C above the long-term average.  While that may not seem like a significant increase, over a month-long period, it makes a noticeable difference, amplifying the stress on the garden and the discomfort of the gardener.  The high humidity made those temperatures feel closer to 40°C on some days, making even simple gardening tasks a challenge.

The total rainfall for January was a mere 148 mm - less than half the historical average recorded since 1941.  The primary reason?  The delayed arrival of the monsoon trough.

This image shows some of the global rainfall daily averages for the months of January and July.  The monsoon trough is usually positioned over northern Australia in the southern summer month of January (as shown of the left), and then moves northward to sit along the equator during our southern winter.
It is the monsoon trough that brings areas of low pressure and sustained heavy rainfall.  This happens during what we refer to as "the wet season".  The beginning of a wet season is variable, but it usually happens during January. 

When The Rains Came 

On the very last day of January, after weeks of oppressive heat and inadequate rainfall, Townsville and its surrounding areas were suddenly hit in the afternoon and evening with a staggering 280 to 300 mm of rain, and then the deluge continued the next day with another 260 to 280 mm (recorded at the Townsville airport in the city).  That's a lot of rain - 21 to 22 inches in 48 hours. 

An area of low pressure had converged over Townsville and its surrounds and remained there for the following week.   The downpours were relentless.  Here in my outlying rural suburb, we received almost 500 mm (almost 20 inches) in that same period.

A Year's Worth Of Rainfall In Just Five Weeks

To put things into perspective, Townsville's annual average rainfall is 1137 mm.  With 1139 mm recorded up to the end of Week 5, the city has already exceeded its yearly average just five weeks into the year.

This milestone comes after a record-breaking December 2024, when Townsville Airport (in the inner city) set a new rainfall record with 487 mm, bringing the three-month total to a staggering 1626mm! 

In the days leading up to this torrential rain, at the start of Week 5, my garden was already enjoying a respite from the heat, with three days of light showers keeping the plants fresh.  Blooms were adorned with raindrops that lingered all day, creating a scene I hadn't witnessed in over a year.  A gentle stream trickled down our driveway, and the wallabies revelled in the new abundance of greenery.  

Despite the damp conditions, I was still able to get outside between showers to tackle the ever-persistent pests - tiny bright green grasshoppers and caterpillars that were feasting on many of the plants; and a stubborn infestation of mealybugs in the shade house and pergola gardens.

Another of my gardening tasks during this time was tending to the pergola garden space which had suffered while I was away just a fortnight before.  Between pest management and nurturing struggling plants, it was a busy period.  But once the deluge of rain arrived, all of these activities came to a screeching halt.

Garden Journal Entry - Week 6

Seasons:  Late-Summer & Wet Season
Daytime Temps:  25°C - 30°C            
Night Time Temps: 21°C - 24°C
Humidity Levels: between 90% & 100%     
Hours of daylight:  13 hours, but there was almost constant cloud cover from horizon to horizon
Rainfall:  482 mm  (18 inches)

The month of February began on the final day of Week 5, so Week 6 covers the first week of February.  Gardening chores were put on hold this past week, as it's been raining almost constantly, sometimes quite heavily.  Everything is sodden underfoot with some areas of the garden slightly under water and very slippery.  My Week 6 entry is therefore mostly about the weather event that has impacted the region of Northern Queensland where I live.

When A Common Weather System Turns Extreme

Northern Queensland, is no stranger to tropical weather, but this week has been nothing short of extraordinary.  While no destructive cyclone made landfall, a series of unfavourable conditions transformed a relatively common weather system in to a record-breaking weather event.  For some, it's been a catastrophic event, surpassing all expectations in terms of rainfall and impact.

A tropical low, which originally formed off the coast of Cairns (around 600 km to the north of my home city of Townsville) on January 28, has inundated the northern region with staggering amounts of rain.  Some areas recorded nearly two metres of rainfall in just a few days.  The event claimed two lives, with the potential for more rain in the forecast.

What Caused The Torrential Rain?

Tropical lows are a routine part of our northern Australian wet season, often seen as the early stages of cyclones before their winds reach destructive strength.  While lows form multiple times a year, most do not raise major concerns.  Typically, these systems bring moderate rain and are manageable withing the region's preparedness frameworks.

However, two critical factors intensified this particular system:

-  Slow movement of the low.  After forming, the tropical low drifted away from the coast for several days where it stalled, continuously drawing moisture from the warm ocean waters.  When it turned and headed back inland, this sustained moisture influx resulted in torrential downpours days on end, overwhelming local drainage systems and causing widespread flooding. 

-  Unusually warm Coral Sea.  The sea surface temperatures in the Coral Sea have been significantly warmer than usual.  Warmer waters lead to increased evaporation, which in turn fuels heavy cloud formation and intense rainfall.

Photos taken around Townsville

The Impact Of Record Rainfall

This past week has been one of the most challenging times for my city of Townsville and its surrounding communities, as relentless rainfall and severe flooding wreaked havoc across northern Queensland.  A 735 km stretch of coastline from Cairns to Mackay has been impacted, with Townsville, Ingham and Cardwell among the worst hit by flash floods and overflowing waters.

Both Ingham (270 km north of Townsville) and Cardwell (320 km north) were completely cut off, with highways closed due to floodwaters.  Residents faced power outages and a compromised water supply, forcing authorities to cut off access to drinking water.  With roads impassable, grocery supplies dwindled rapidly, leaving communities struggling to secure essentials.

Townsville - the largest city in northern Queensland - is a sprawling city covering an area of almost 3,750 km2, and includes 98 suburbs.  Normally, rainfall is inconsistent across the city.  The inner city can be drenched while the outer suburbs remain dry.  During this weather event, all suburbs received rain, but as usual, it varied across the city. 

Many of the northwest suburbs recorded massive rainfall totals at the start of the week compared to the suburbs located on the outskirts to the south.  The suburb of Rollingstone, 60 km northwest of the Townsville city centre, recorded a whopping 702 mm over the 24 hours to 9.00 am on February 2nd, while the Townsville Airport (in the inner city where the weather station is located) recorded 545 mm, and my suburb received around 486 mm over that same period of time.

This graphic shows the difference in rainfall totals across the Townsville local council area from 9.00 am on the 2nd of February to 9.00 am on the 3rd.  The black box in the top left hand corner shows the 24 hour total for the northern suburb of Paluma, while the yellow box on the left shows the 24 hour total for my rural suburb on the southern outskirts.  All the red dots in the centre indicate the varied totals for the inner city suburbs.

By Sunday, February 3rd, low-lying inner city suburbs, such as Rosslea, Oonoonba, Railway Estate and Stuart, were declared "black zone" areas and residents were told to evacuate.  Police went door to door informing home owners that it was in their best interest to leave their home and go to the nearest emergency shelter.  Small armies of support workers were there to provide everything from bedding and towels to pet food and counselling.

Suburbs located along the Ross River were also included in the "black zone" area as the river's water level rose quickly.  Water levels in the city's Ross River Dam, which fed into Ross River, rose over the dam's 100% capacity and our local authority began releasing water through spillways to relieve pressure.  This of course added to the already increased volume in the Ross River.  Many residents in homes close to the swollen river began sandbagging their properties in an effort to keep out the rising water. 

Townsville's Ongoing Flood Risk:  Dam Levels, River Rises and More Rain To Come.

A contributing factor in the city's flooding has been the Ross River Dam.

The following graphic shows the level of our dam over this past week:

The blue line indicates that the dam's capacity has been consistently above 100% (the straight black line) since the 1st of February.

This excess water has contributed to the rapid rise of the Ross River, which reached between moderate and major flood levels earlier this week. 

While river levels have begun to drop, the threat is far from over, as new tropical lows continue to form along the monsoon trough bringing the potential for further heavy rainfall in the coming days.

When the flooding peaked at the start of this week, Townsville came to a complete halt.  Roads across the city were closed due to the rising water, cutting off entire suburbs.  Shops shut their doors, unable to operate amid the chaos.  Schools were closed.  Bus services and the airport ceased operations.

By mid-week, the most intense rainfall had eased, allowing floodwaters to begin receding.  However, with new lows developing, authorities remain on high alert for another potential surge.  

With the wet season still ongoing, the big question remains - how much more rain will fall?  

The February rainfall record for Townsville has already been broken, and we're only eight days into the month!  2025 is  shaping up to be a year for the record books.

The latest radar and satellite imagery (8.45 pm on Saturday, February 8):

The monsoon trough still lies across Northern Queensland in an environment rich with tropical moisture, allowing the development of slow-moving heavy showers and severe thunderstorms.  Significant rainfall is predicted to continue into next week.

A Rural Perspective:  My Property's Experience

Living in a rural suburb on the southern outskirts of Townsville, my experience of the flood event has been somewhat different from those in the inner city and north-western suburbs.

Rainfall totals in my area have been slightly lower, meaning flooding has not been as severe.  

Photos from around my suburb at the start of the week

Roads providing access to our suburb from the highway were under water for a couple of days at the start of this week, but they cleared fairly quickly.  Properties were also flooded but very few homes were actually inundated with flood water.

My property sits in an elevated position, allowing excess water to drain away quickly.

While two flat areas have gone underwater - the shade house garden floor and the paved courtyard garden - the water only reached a few centimetres deep.

Though these minor floods have made some outdoor areas slippery and unsafe, my garden has benefited significantly from the extra rainfall.  Most plants are flourishing in this historic wet season. 

Challenges Continue ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal, Mid-Summer, Week 4, January 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 4

Seasons:  Mid-Summer & Wet Season

Daytime Temps:  32°C - 35°C

Night Time Temps: 24°C - 26°C

Humidity Levels: between 70% & 90%

Hours of daylight:  13 hours

Rainfall:  3.4 mm

Surviving The Heatwave - Trials In The Garden

The garden has been a place of triumphs and challenges this week as we endure some of the hottest, most humid days of the season. With temperatures hovering between 32 and 35°C and the humidity making it feel closer to 41 or 42°C, gardening has been less of a joy and more of an endurance test. Even the early mornings provide little respite, with the sun blazing fiercely from the moment it rises and the UV index climbing from moderate to extreme before midday.

After a week away visiting family down south—where, ironically, it was even hotter—we were eager to return to the comforts of home.  We had left the garden in what we thought were capable hands and arrangements had been made to water the potted and hanging plants, as well as the newly planted garden beds under the pergola. What could possibly go wrong during a single week?

A Dramatic Homecoming

Returning from our brief getaway, we were greeted not by tranquility, but by unexpected chaos. The anticipation of a relaxing cuppa quickly gave way to shock.

Two enormous trees—each over 30 feet tall—had toppled, crushing the old chook pen and shed beneath them. This corner of our property, admittedly a bit neglected, has now become an unplanned project of Herculean proportions. The Eucalyptus platyphylla and Tabebuia heterophylla giants are too large for us to tackle alone, leaving us pondering the next steps while their uprooted trunks serve as an unmissable reminder of nature’s unpredictability.

The top photo in the collage above shows the uprooted trees lying gracefully over the chook pen fence and shed. The bottom photo gives you an idea of just how tall these trees are / were - that black box indicates the top of the Eucalyptus platyphylla (the tree with the white trunk).

These are immense trees, both of which have wood that is dense and heavy. It will take such a lot of hard work to cut up these trees and remove all the debris. My dear hubby would have tackled that job in days gone by, but now it's beyond him, so we're not sure what we're going to do. The trees will likely remain in place for some time!

A Garden In Distress

Unfortunately, the surprises didn’t end there. Wandering through the garden revealed the extent of the damage caused by the heat and missed waterings.

Under the pergola, my newly established, thriving garden bed was a heartbreaking sight. Plants that had been vibrant before we left were now sunburnt and shrivelled. My beloved Tree Fern, a standout in its pot, appears beyond saving, whilst the lovely Blechnum 'Silver Lady' Fern shows signs of distress and heat damage. Months of work undone in a mere seven days.

The photo above shows the difference between what it looked like before we left, and what it now looks like after I had to cut back all the obviously parched and burnt plants. I had mentioned in my last post that this area was one of my latest garden projects and it's disheartening to see the progress of months undone in a matter of days, with this space now requiring intensive rescue efforts.

Worse still, my shadehouse garden had become a battleground against an army of mealy bugs. Nearly all of my hanging baskets of Calibrachoa were infested, requiring drastic pruning.

But the real devastation lay with my beloved Coleus plants—all 15 of them, both potted and in the ground.

Every leaf and stem was weighed down by the sheer number of these tiny, white, hairy pests.

Despite my efforts before our trip—hosing them off, dabbing with methylated spirits, and squashing them—the infestation absolutely exploded in our absence.

I've never seen an infestation like it!

Plans For Recovery

Now begins the hard work of reclaiming the garden. The Coleus have been cut back to their barest stalks, and I’m preparing to hit them hard with a combination of neem oil and metho treatments frequently in the coming weeks. It’s a daunting task, but one I’m determined to tackle. We're almost two-thirds through our horrid summer, so let's see how it all goes through the continuing heat, humidity and rainfall that's predicted!

A Reminder Of Resilience

Gardening, as always, is a lesson in patience and perseverance. This week’s setbacks have been frustrating, but they also highlight the resilience of plants—and gardeners. I’ll rebuild what’s been lost, and perhaps next week will bring better news. After all, what’s a garden without a few challenges to keep us growing alongside it?

This Week's Garden Highlights: What's Blooming?

Let me end this week's journal with a cheerier note. Here's a few of the gorgeous blooms on show right now, mostly in outdoor garden beds.