Season: end of Winter, and mid-dry season
So this is our last Winter weekend and Spring is almost upon us. This was the prediction for the weekend ...
Fri
Overcast
Low:
18°C
High:
26°C
|
Sat
Cloudy
Low:
18°C
High:
27°C
|
Sun
Overcast
Low:
16°C
High:
25°C
|
Mon
Cloudy
Low:
17°C
High:
26°C
|
... and that's pretty much how it all panned out too. Our glorious winter daytime temps, which were hovering around the low to mid 20s (C), are now pretty much over and done with. The mercury is now climbing up into the high 20s (C) every day, preparing the way for the rapidly approaching very warm Springtime temps.
With one more week left before Spring officially arrives here Downunder, those of us who live in the northern tropics start bracing ourselves for the arrival once more of the fierce sunshine, the horrid heat and the awful humidity.
Our Spring begins in September and ends in November, and occurs towards the end of our 'dry' season. There are predictions that a weak El Nino will develop, apparently the result of emerging warmer than normal waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean, and persistent warmer than normal waters in the Indian Ocean.
That raises the chances of 'drier-than-usual' conditions over the coming months. Given that our long 'dry' season doesn't actually end until around early December, it seems that the end of this year's 'dry' is really, truly going to be DRY!
There's only a 40% chance of exceeding the median rainfall total for Sept to Nov ... meaning there's a 60% chance of receiving well below the median rainfall total for Spring here in the north.
For the month of August, Mother Nature only managed 1.4 mm of rain ( 0.1 of an inch). That has brought the 'dry' season total so far this year, from April to August, to 217.2 mm or 7.4 inches. Compared to last year's total for the same period, April to August, of 128.2 mm or 5 inches ... this year's 'dry' has not been too bad. Let's see how the next three months or so turn out.
Around my place, things are definitely drying up pretty quickly. The grassed area at the front of the house is turning its usual winter / spring shade of attractive dead-and-dying brown. As we received slightly more rain than usual this 'dry' season, we've been lucky enough to enjoy the green grass for slightly longer than most years.
It's interesting to watch both the Crotons and Acalyphas during our long 'dry' ... they both drop a lot of leaves during the dry months in an attempt to get through this harsh time of year.
Here you can see the pile of leaves that have fallen off the Acalypha wilkesianas ...
... and a pile of Croton leaves. Of course, these water-deprived distressed shrubs are creating their own pile of mulch and thus helping themselves to survive. I help out a little by giving them a deep watering every couple of months.
Out in the bush, the trees have started dropping their leaves as the 'dry' rolls on. You can see the leaves browning off before they fall. This is the time of year when bush fires can break out, and we may start to see plumes of smoke way off in the surrounding ranges, or perhaps a little closer in the foothills around here.
There are a couple of trees on my property that are deciduous in the 'dry'.
The Plumeria rubras have had no leaves now throughout the winter months ...
... and I just spotted the first little evidence of re-growth this week past.
The Lagerstroemia speciosas or Queen's Myrtles are also deciduous during the winter months /dry season ...
... and both are in varying stages of undress at the moment.
The young Lagerstroemia indicas or Crepe Myrtles look like sticks at the moment. You can see them standing up tall and naked beside the dwarf pink Euphorbia pulcherrima, which blooms during the winter months.
The Hemerocallis, which have a corner at the end of this top tiered garden bed, are starting to show new leaf growth, gearing up now for the coming Spring.
Everything else in this top tiered garden bed has really slowed down and are not looking as lush as usual. The Justicia brandegeana or red Shrimp Plant, and the Iresine herbstii 'Blazin Rose' however, are both blooming. So is the Pentas, which can be spotted off to the right of the shot.
On the other side of the tiered beds, there's not much going on either. The Dietes bicolor, old red Gerbera and the Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' are all putting on a little display, but the Salvias and Angelonias were all trimmed back a few weeks ago, and the Ground Orchid is just starting to send out new shoots. Those pots sitting precariously on the slope in front of the tiered beds are filled with last year's Asiatic and Oriental Lily bulbs, and they're just starting to wake from their dormancy.
I had to do a little repair job on the end of the tiered garden beds this weekend. This section was teetering on a very dangerous angle after our last 'wet' season, and I just hadn't gotten around to fixing it. Well ... finally I made the effort!
Out in the Courtyard Garden, the native tree Sterculia quadrifida, or Peanut Tree, is completely bare of leaves but has the most spectacular display of fruit in varying stages of ripening.
The Figbirds are having a feast on the seeds inside those fruit pods.
At the moment there are few gardening jobs for me to do, apart from the watering. Most of the plants that grow here on the property have to get by without much help from me during our long 'dry' season. I only regularly water the shadehouse and courtyard garden plants and fertilise every few weeks leading up to Spring.
Scattered around the courtyard I now have around 80 potted plants which provide lots of colour and interest to what would otherwise be a quite boring space.
You may notice some rather sorry looking pots in this corner of the courtyard. I've had to cut the potted Petunias right back this weekend as they were getting very, very leggy. They were planted back in April and I've only cut them back once since then. The recent haircut will help keep them going throughout the coming Spring and into early Summer.
Most of the other potted plants in this corner go on and on for months, providing great foliage and flowers.
The renovated section under the pergola is coming along very well now. I'm still working on cleaning out the pond though. With one last push, and help from my darling hubby, it should be sparkling clean by next weekend. Then it will be time to choose some water plants and turn it into something eye-worthy rather than the eye-sore it is at the moment.
The courtyard is not looking too bad right now,
but I'm waiting for this year's purchase of Asiatic and Oriental Lilies to fill out and bloom, adding some more lovely colour to the space.
Out in the Shadehouse Garden, I've had to trim back the hanging baskets of Dragon Wing Begonias and get them ready for a springtime show.
The hanging pots of Impatiens walleriana on the other side are all blooming away nicely, and the foliage plants just need a regular watering every second day or so to stay happy.
Elsewhere on the property, the drought tolerant plants carry on with little attention from me.
It's lovely to see the display on my neighbour's white Bauhinia trees though. Those trees hang over our fenceline and provide great splashes of white in amongst the other trees and shrubs,
... while my little cyclone-damaged stump is still limping through its recovery.
Of course, I'm very pleased that my little stump is showing so many stark white orchid-like flowers.
The two sections of rock garden newly established last year are also limping along quite nicely. I've been slightly surprised that I haven't lost anything yet, so I can give myself a pat on the back for great planting choices. I do expect these new plants will take off somewhat when the rains arrive at the end of the year, and both areas should start looking fuller.
Well, I started this post after having a bit of a break while I recovered from some nasty virus, and I was thinking I wouldn't find much to say!!! Now I find I have to stop myself from prattling on any longer, as this is becoming a marathon of a post. To finish off, I'll just add some shots of some of the blooms and colourful foliage around the place on this last Winter weekend.
fab foliage
Bernie, everything still looks lovely, despite it being your dry season. I am happy to see how well the area under the pergola is coming along.
ReplyDeleteIt's also time for me to trim back some of my plants too, so that they will be nice and full for the Christmas season.
Glad you're feeling better.
Thanks so much, Virginia. Yes the area under the pergola is really coming along nicely at last. The climbers are still a long way off from arching over the top, but at least all the new plants that went in under the open pergola roof are flourishing.
DeleteBeautiful as always, your garden is a joy top view,winter is a very interesting season .
ReplyDeleteLovely to see you popping by Pitta. I know the winters down here are a lot drier than yours, so I imagine everything is still very lush and green up your way.
DeleteYou live in such a beautiful and bountiful part of the country. And you say that it isn't at its best at the moment. I think is still looks magnificent.
ReplyDeleteLinda May, when everything starts to brown off during the dry it's not the most beautiful sight here in Brownsville! As we get to the last few months of dry season we do start longing to see some green in the hills and ranges around us.
DeleteUnder fab foliage, what is that giant red and green leaf? Fabulous! As you are going into spring, here in Florida, we are going into fall but ever so slowly as the heat bears on for another few months. But it is fall in the northeast. They will soon have leaf color.
ReplyDeleteHi SouthernRuralRoute, if you're asking about the green and red leaf in the top left hand corner of the collage ... that's a Caladium. I'm sorry I can't tell you the varietal name. I've had it for many years and it was given to me as a pass-along. One day I would love to see Autumn colours in real life. It's on my must-do wish list.
DeleteLovely gardens Bernie, i do hope you get some rain soon. We had one day of 29 celcius but mainly we are still in the 20's and below here, years ago i could look over my back fence at a nice little pocket of bush, it's all just houses now. Some of us try to grow your tropical plants down here, but it is just a bit too cold they don't like it. There are a few tropical gardens in Sydney, but they have just the right microclimate in their yards to do it well.
ReplyDeleteKaren, our dry season usually ends towards the end of December so we've got a little way to go yet. We're used to the long dry up here. It does however makes us truly appreciate the arrival of the rains at the end of the year.
DeleteWe are very fortunate to live in an outlying rural suburb so there's lots of bushland around us, and there's not much chance of more development for many many years to come. A lot of the land close to where I live is actually National Parks land, so it will be preserved.
Gorgeous as usual Bernie. Your foliage is as beautiful as the blooms.
ReplyDeleteGood idea about leaving the dropped leaves as mulch, I'm always trying to remove them and my plants will need them to get through the winter.
Thanks Shirley, I usually forget to show off the foliage that's here. I tend to feature the flowers most of the time. Leaving the leaves is one of my hard-learned lessons coping with the dry conditions here. It certainly works.
DeleteYour garden certainly isn't Brownsville Bernie. We've had a very dry August with temperatures starting to woam up and have had to start regular watering. It would be nothing compared to your area though.
ReplyDeleteI only just noticed how big your cycad in the courtyard is - it's huge. It is a cycad, isn't it and not a palm?
Missy, the brown is slowly creeping in now. That little bit of extra rain back in June and July has helped keep the drying off at bay a little longer this year. It won't take long now for things to really dry out though.
DeleteYes that is a Cycad. There are actually two of them out in my courtyard. The other one is just as big, but it's hidden in amongst the background planting of the courtyard behind the potted red Acalyphas.
Thanks for the reminder to trim back the angel wing begonias. My rex begonia have been flowering so nicely this year - I am loving them. I am reminded of how lovely your lilies were last year, I look forward to seeing them blooming.
ReplyDeleteAA, it's always a good idea to give the Angel Wing Begonias a trim back before Spring. They'll come back very quickly and look fantastic. I'm a big fan of the Rex Begonia blooms. I'm enjoying mine right now as well. It's always a great wintertime treat.
DeleteHow interesting to see such different conditions and seasons in your part of the world. With the dry all around you, you have made a beautiful oasis in your courtyard. And the foliage surrounding you in the garden and bush is an interesting backdrop -- even the bare "sticks" add structure. I love seeing the long shots of what it looks like where you are!
ReplyDeleteLaurrie, that's why I enjoy the courtyard so much at this time of year. As everything in the bushland dries out, and the front yard slowly turns a lovely shade of brown, I can retreat to the lovely courtyard and enjoy the view.
DeleteHere in North America, at the the northern part of North America, autumn is on its way. The leaves are slowly starting to change but the height of the color won't be until the beginning of October. The Farmer's Almanac predicts we will have a cold and snowy winter. We need the snow for snow and snow melt is what fills up the Great Lakes.
ReplyDeleteWell I hope it's the winter you're wishing for, Mary. Right now I'm really enjoying the early days of Spring before the conditions turn horrible. I'm afraid the end of Spring and Summer here are not all that enjoyable.
DeleteJust came on to your blog, WOW your place is awesome. I live in the south of Australia and our dry season is just coming. The native's in the bushland are flowering now and will go into survial mode for the hot summer. The lush plants you have are beautiful. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Valda. It's great to 'meet' another Aussie. I know S.A. had a harsh summer last year, so fingers crossed it's not too bad this time around.
DeleteHere in the UK we'd kill for those temperatures - and this is our summer. You'd probably be glad of our rain - but even without the quantities we 'enjoy' your plantings are all looking very lush and green.
ReplyDeleteTrainer John, the temps right now aren't too bad, but it's signalling what's on the way. I'm not a big fan of our summers here. They're hot and muggy. I am looking forward to some rain though. That should arrive around mid-summer.
DeleteEnjoyed seeing all your garden areas. They are really so lush for this time of year, even with a few deciduous trees. That peanut tree has a lot of winter interest...I've not seen that one before. Hope your dry season is not too brutal. I know here in Florida, spring is far worse than winter. We are always so desperate for rain by the time June rolls 'round.
ReplyDeleteFloridagirl, I didn't show much of the bushland and that would have shown the drying out that's going on right now. So far our 'dry' this year hasn't been too bad. We did get some rain a month or so ago, not very much, but enough to keep things green a little longer than usual. We'll be desperate for rain by the end of December, which is our first summer month.
DeleteFabulous garden Bernie! I found your blog when you 'liked' GardenDrum on Facebook today (and thank you for that!). Seeing your dry spring deciduous plants puts me in mind of doing a blog about that on GardenDrum as it's an interesting plant adaptation you find right through the dry tropics through to the cooler southern subtropics & in all ex-Gondwanan continents.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd love to feature your garden on GardenDrum sometime too, if you'd be interested in that.
Just one extra thing though - I'd love to be able to read your blog without having to scroll down to turn off the music each time I click on a page. (As I usually have my own music playing when I'm researching). Could you have a button at the top too?
Hi Catherine. I'm glad to see you popping by for a visit. It's great to hear you've enjoyed the visit too. Yes here in the dry tropics there are quite a few plants that drop their leaves during our long dry season, most especially during the latter part of Winter and into Spring. It is certainly a great topic for a blog post.
DeleteI would be only too pleased to have my garden featured, although it's not at all a showy-type garden and I'm not at all a very experienced gardener either.
About the music, actually I've been wanting to get rid of that for a while now. It's been running for ages, so I think I will just cancel it and give all readers a bit of a break from it.
Hi Bernie, it's always such a treat to come back and visit your garden :-) I loved the photos of your courtyard garden, it's nice to see how it changes with the seasons. Loved the Peanut Tree! Here in London we are well and truly into autumn, it is quite cold with temp no higher than 15-17 degrees Celcius during the day. Brr...we haven't really had summer this year, it's going to be a loooong winter....
ReplyDelete