Last Autumn Month ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal ... End-of-Autumn, Week 20, May 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 20

Seasons:  end-of-Autumn & start of Dry Season
Daytime Temps:  28°C - 31°C            
Night Time Temps: 19°C - 22°C
Humidity Levels: around 70%     
Hours of daylight:  11 hours
Rainfall:  0 mm 

A Taste of Summer Before Winter's Arrival 

As the end of autumn draws near, we've had a brief taste of summer's warmth this past week. Daytime temperatures reached nearly 30°C, giving us one last glimpse of what summer feels like before winter begins to settle in. While it was nice to have a bit of heat, the dryness that followed came quickly, and I’ve started to notice a few plants looking wilted and thirsty.  

Top Part of the Hillside Driveway Garden Bed

With only 3.6 mm of rain this month, which fell across three days in the first week, the ground has dried out much faster than usual. It seems I’ll be kicking off the dry season watering schedule a little earlier this year!

After a record-breaking wet season earlier in the year, I’ve finally managed to catch up on the weeding and mulching that was much needed across the garden beds.

Looking down the Hillside Driveway Garden Bed towards the section that needed weeding

The last section to get attention was the area near the end of the cement driveway, which runs down beside the pergola and courtyard garden, ending just outside my husband’s workshop. Though not visible to visitors, it was far too overgrown to ignore. In some areas, the weeds had grown almost a metre high!

End of the Hillside Driveway Garden Bed

I forgot to snap a ‘before’ photo, but I managed to take one towards the end of the task, with the last patch of weeds highlighted in the shot. It took two wheelbarrow loads of pulled weeds from just that area alone.

Back of the Courtyard Garden, opposite the end section of the Hillside Driveway Garden Bed

Thankfully, the other side was much easier. Now, I just need to finish off the mulching in that section.

Seasonal Changes

As the season changes, one of my favourite sights in the garden is the burst of colour from my Calliandra haematocephala (red) and Calliandra surinamensis (pink), commonly known as Powderpuffs.

The flower buds look like little raspberries before they bloom – first green, then red. Once they open, the flowers are small but clustered together to form the signature spherical inflorescences. It's a delightful sight, signaling the shifting of seasons.

Another exciting development in the garden is the blooming of my Adenium obesums. I planted these just three years ago in various corners of the garden, and they've settled in so well. They thrive in spots with poor soil and full sun all day, and it’s wonderful to see them bloom again, adding a bright splash of colour amidst all the green foliage.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the drier winter months, I’ll be keeping an eye on the garden and adjusting care routines accordingly. With so much blooming despite the challenges of the changing season, there’s always something new to appreciate as we transition through the year.

This Week's Garden Highlights:

A Laughing Kookaburra sitting in a native gum tree, looking out for a delicious snack, as the evening closes in.  

The very last of the Agave flowers are on show at the very top of the flowering spike which is over two metres tall.

The stunning blooms of this potted Spathoglottis, commonly known as Ground Orchid, always catch my eye when I venture out into the courtyard garden.

Butterflies are a common daily sight at the moment.  This Common Crow Butterfly (Euploea core) was sitting on top of a weed pulled out from the hillside driveway garden bed.

I simply adore the vibrant pink of this potted Ixora that sits out in the courtyard garden.

I'm looking forward to seeing more colour after I start potting up additional plants for the courtyard garden ahead of our coming winter.

The Start Of The Dry Season ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal ... Mid-Autumn, Week 18, May 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 18

Seasons:  mid-Autumn & start of our Dry Season
Daytime Temps:  26°C - 30°C            
Night Time Temps: 18°C - 22°C
Humidity Levels: around 70%     
Hours of daylight:  11 hours
Rainfall:  5 mm  (well below an inch) 

After a month or so away, I’ve returned home to much cooler weather—both by day and by night. The relative humidity has dropped significantly, signalling the beginning of our dry season. The lush, rainy days have given way to a much-needed break from the constant downpours.

Looking out to the foothills from the top garden

April Rainfall and Seasonal Shifts

I've been told that April started with steady rainfall, bringing around 100 mm (4 inches) of rain in the first week. After that, the skies cleared, and bright blue skies returned, with sunshine gracing us from dawn until dusk. As we step into May, the rain has barely amounted to 5 mm (less than an inch), marking the transition to drier times.

My native Sterculia quadrifida (commonly known as Peanut Tree) is dropping its leaf load
and the tiny yellow flower sprays have started appearing.

Seasonal changes are already noticeable around the garden. The native Sterculia quadrifida (Peanut Tree) has started dropping its leaves and showing off its small yellow flowers.  The deciduous Plumerias (Frangipanis) have also started shedding their leaves - both are clear signs that the cool weather has arrived. 

Native Acacia in full bloom - our Aussie colours of green and gold

Meanwhile, the native Acacias are in full bloom, adding vibrant splashes of colour to the bush land surrounding our home. 

The mornings now feel refreshing, and I find myself spending more time in the garden each day, soaking in the cooler air and making the most of the dry spell.  

May Winds and Tree Debris

May is typically the time when wind gusts take centre stage in our weather. Now that the rainless period has begun and the skies are completely clear, Mother Nature sends in the wind gusts as a herald to the start of the dry season. These gusts usually begin around 15 km/h in the morning, building up to 24 km/h by midday before slowly tapering off in the afternoon.

Fallen Eucalptus platyphylla limb and the debris piled up on the other side of the driveway

Upon my return home, I found quite a bit of tree debris scattered along our entrance driveway. The very tall Eucalyptus platyphylla that graces the driveway garden decided to drop a massive limb. Thankfully, the main part of the limb fell in the best spot possible underneath the enormous tree.  Some of the attached branches did unfortunately cause some minor damage to the fence, but it could have been far worse.

We have decided to leave the huge limb where it fell, after clearing away the smaller dead branches from it along with the branches that were broken off from an understorey tree. 

The fallen limb will remain in place and this spot will now become my new garden project

The Eucalyptus platyphylla limb is just far too heavy to move, and it adds an interesting feature to the garden bed.  I'm now thinking of creating a succulent garden in and around the limb, so it's time to do some research into shade-loving succulents that will thrive in that area among the leaf litter.

Gardening Tasks:  A Return To Routine

Since returning, I’ve tackled a few lighter tasks. Weeding has been a gentler job with the onset of the dry season. I’ve added a fresh layer of sugar cane mulch to the garden beds along the driveway, which should help suppress any further weed growth. 

The Golden Cane Palm seedlings that have sprouted in abundance are the only weeds demanding immediate attention. Pulling these out is a recurring task, but one that’s easy to manage at the moment.

Trimming back and cleaning up in the shadehouse garden - much needed after our wet season

In the shade house garden, I’ve given quite a few of the potted plants some serious trimming. After the wet season, the Coleus in particular had become lanky and unsightly, with a mealy bug infestation remaining on one plant. Some of the Coleus stems had grown so long that they were draping over neighbouring pots! Now that they’ve been cut back, the plants should start recovering.

Trouble In The Shade House Garden

A more persistent issue in the shade house garden has been the rapid spread of Strobilanthes reptans (formerly known as Hemigraphis reptans). 

This creeping plant has been overtaking patches of bark mulch and spilling over into the spaces between the pavers, becoming quite a nuisance. 

In this photo, taken during the shadehouse garden clean up, you can see the Strobilanthes spreading out all over the pavers!  

I’ve continued trying to pull it out, but it’s proving difficult to manage. Hopefully, with the dry season ahead, the plant will start to die back on its own.

Pest Patrol

Grasshopper munching evident on Coleus (top left), Plectranthus (top right),
Begonia nelumbiifolia (bottom left) and Pentas (bottom right).

 

On a positive note, the marauding grasshoppers that had previously wreaked havoc on so many of my potted plants, in the shade house and in the courtyard gardens, have disappeared. Their damage is still visible on my Cordylines, Impatiens, Plectranthus, Pentas, and Begonia nelumbiifolia (Lilypad Begonia), but with the pests gone, these plants can begin to bounce back and regain their health.

Wildlife and New Discoveries

Yesterday, after spending a couple of hours doing some much-needed weeding along the driveway and trimming back in the shade house garden, I was treated to a delightful sight. 

A small group of Agile Wallabies—two males, four females, and two joeys—were grazing happily on the lush growth of weeds in the side yard. 

It was lovely to witness, as they feasted on the greenery in peace.

This Week's Garden Highlights:

• The Plectranthus babies I potted up ages ago are now flowering beautifully, adding a burst of color to the space.

• The Acacias are still in bloom out in the bushland, with their golden blossoms standing out against the clear blue sky—such a cheerful sight!

• A Collared Whipsnake seems to have taken up residence in our courtyard garden, as I’ve spotted it a few times in the last couple of days. 

It's always fascinating to observe wildlife finding its way into the garden.

As we head further into the dry season, the garden will require less maintenance, and I look forward to a bit of respite from the usual rush of gardening tasks. However, there’s always something to keep me busy—and with the cooler weather, it’s easier to enjoy the process once again.

A Record-Breaking Wet Season ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal ... Beginning of Autumn, Week 13, March 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 13

Seasons:  early Autumn & end of Wet Season
Daytime Temps:  28°C - 32°C            
Night Time Temps: 24°C - 26°C
Humidity Levels: 80 to 100%     
Hours of daylight:  12 hours
Rainfall:  357 mm  (14 inches) 

As March comes to a close, so (supposedly) does our 2024-2025 wet season - but what a wet season it has been!   These were the figures from our Bureau of Meteorology at the start of this week:

Since 1 January 2025, Townsville Airport has received 2,042 mm (80 inches)!

This is almost double the annual median of 1,083 mm (using 84 years of records) and we are only in March.

Our annual rainfall record for Townsville is 2,399.8 mm (94 inches), set in 2000.

February 2025 was the wettest month on record (for any month) at Townsville Airport with 1,198
mm (47 inches) – over four-times the February median rainfall.

Our rainfall, so far, for March (1 – 24) has been 761.8 mm (30 inches) – our wettest March on
record, breaking the previous record set in 2011 of 696.2 mm.

Looking back over the entire wet season, 1 October 2024 – 9 a.m. 24 March 2025,
we’ve had 2,686.6 mm (105 inches) of rain!













In the five days since these figures were shared, the weather station at the airport has recorded another 244 mm making the total 2,927.2 mm (115 inches).

That means we've now exceeded our all-time annual record in just six months!

The sheer volume of rain has transformed the landscape. My rural suburb is completely saturated, with standing water everywhere. In fact, a neighbour recently shared a jaw-dropping photo of water gushing out of the top of a borehole—something that simply doesn’t happen under normal conditions! 

Usually, boreholes are drilled deep underground to access groundwater, but this season’s relentless rain has pushed aquifer levels so high that water is now bubbling up to the surface unassisted.

With nowhere left to go, the rainwater is pooling in enormous puddles (some are more like lakes at this point). The soil is beyond saturated, and my garden is feeling the effects. Everything is lush and green, but after months of overcast skies, my plants are desperate for sunlight. The sun has made a few brief appearances, but it never seems to stay for more than an hour or two before retreating behind thick clouds again.

When there's sunshine, no matter how briefly, there is a sudden influx of butterflies and other insects carrying out their pollination duties.

Gardening?  Not So Much!

Gardening tasks are almost impossible right now. The ground is so sodden and slippery that it's actually quite dangerous—especially for someone like me, who's been battling with knee and mobility issues. I’ve attempted a bit of weeding here and there, but it’s a losing battle. Within days, the weeds are back, growing even more vigorously than before.

One plant, in particular, is proving to be borderline invasive in the shadehouse garden — Strobilanthes alternata (syn. Hemigraphis alternata), also known as red ivy, red-flame ivy, or waffle plant. It has taken full advantage of the wet conditions, popping up everywhere, even in hanging baskets! 

While I’ve tried to remove it from the more accessible areas, it simply mocks my efforts, bouncing back stronger each time.

Fighting Pests And Plant Damage Amidst The Rain

If the weed growth wasn’t frustrating enough, the hordes of hungry pests certainly are! 

Hawkmoth caterpillars have completely devoured several of my Impatiens and Pentas, stripping them bare.

Grasshoppers have been having their own feast, tearing into the leaves of my Begonias, Coleus and Plectranthus.

Some of the Impatiens plants, which had grown nearly half a metre tall, simply rotted away at the base of the stems due to the constant moisture.

Thankfully, I'm now seeing signs of new growth emerging from underground, which gives me hope that they will return to their former glory.

I've been making the effort to get out daily and do damage control in the garden spaces I'm able to access — the shadehouse and courtyard garden spaces - and I've been relocating hawkmoth caterpillars, crushing grasshoppers, and wiping off aphids. Despite my efforts, many plants are still riddled with holes, but some resilient beauties continue to push through.

I can’t deny that the wet season has brought some spectacular growth to the garden, but now I’m hoping for a shift in the weather—some bright, warm days to dry out the soil and give my plants the energy they need to thrive. 

Moments Of Beauty In The Chaos

Despite the challenges, my garden still has its highlights. 

While wandering around in between rain showers, I startled a mother Agile Wallaby and her joey as they foraged for food. 

Most of the other Agile Wallabies have moved back into the surrounding bushland, but for some reason, this mother has chosen to stay near our property.

 I often see her lounging in our “yard,” which is really just an overgrown weed patch at this point!

This Week's Garden Highlights:

🌿 Murraya paniculata (Mock Orange) has been taking turns to flower, filling the air with its heavenly scent.  (Top left in the collage)

🌿 Pseudomussaenda flava (White Wings) is covered in bright yellow flowers and striking white bracts.  (Top right)

🌿 Tabebuia heterophylla (Pink Trumpet Tree) has started another bloom cycle, showing off its delicate soft pink flowers.  (Bottom left)

🌿 Allamanda cathartica continues to put on a cheerful display of bright yellow blooms.  (Bottom right in the collage above)

🌿 Impatiens, Coleus, Torenias, and Cordylines persist, despite all the efforts of pests to reduce them to nothing.

Even in the midst of this extreme wet season, there are moments of beauty and resilience to be found. I just hope for some strong, dry sunshine soon to help the garden (and myself!) recover from this relentless rain.

Rain, Blooms & Seasonal Shifts ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal ... Beginning of Autumn, Week 12, March 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 12

Seasons:  early Autumn & Wet Season
Daytime Temps:  26°C - 30°C            
Night Time Temps: 22°C - 24°C
Humidity Levels: 70 to 100%     
Hours of daylight:  12 hours 5 mins
Rainfall:   mm  ( inches) 

It's been another week of relentless rain here in the foothills, with a whooping 261 mm (10 inches) falling over the past seven days.  The inner city has been hit harder, recording 563 mm (22 inches) in the same period - adding to an already record-breaking month!  With near-constant grey skies and rain, day and night, gardening has taken a back seat.

I did manage to spot a sliver of blue sky this morning, but it was a fleeting vision!  Despite the dreary weather, the temperatures have been rather lovely, hovering between 26 to 28°C most days.  With the March equinox arriving yesterday, we've officially entered the season of shorter, cooler days.  

Rainy Days and Minimal Garden Work

With all this rain, my garden tasks have been minimal.  The only work I've managed this week, during the brief dry spells, has been some light weeding and monitoring plant health out in the shade house garden where there is little ventilation during these rather still days.  

But even with the lack of sunshine, Mother Nature is still putting on a show.

Signs Of Autumn:  Acacias In Bloom

A sure sign that autumn has arrived in the dry tropics is the blooming of our native Acacias (Wattles).  I've spotted them in full display out in the surrounding bushland and in our neighbour's yard during quick strolls between showers.  

There are two varieties around here - 

one with golden yellow flowers 

and another with a softer, pale lemon hue.  

Unlike their southern counterparts, which bloom in September (our spring), the Acacias here in the north flower from March through to May, bringing golden highlights to the landscape.

The Golden Rain Tree and Peanut Tree Put On A Show

The Koelreuteria paniculata, or Golden Rain Tree, is another autumn star.  The tree near my fence line is covered in golden flower clusters, and striking red papery seed capsules.  It's a spectacular sight against the otherwise grey backdrop of rainy days.

Another native beauty, the Sterculia quadrifida, or Peanut Tree, is also making the most of the season.  Right now, it's bursting with clusters of small, fragrant cream-white blossoms, a classic feature of autumn in our region. 

The Peanut Tree is a feature planting in the courtyard garden and is providing a carpet of little blossoms for the brick pavers at the moment.  The area does require a bit of a clean-up after a few days.

A Last Splash Of Summer:  Cassia fistula

The Cassia fistula (the Golden Shower Tree) has also been holding onto the last bit of summer, with a few bright yellow, pendulous flower sprays still clinging to its branches.  This tree typically blooms in the heat of summer, but it's been a pleasant surprise to see it hanging on a little longer this year, adding a pop of colour at the back of the courtyard garden.

Looking Ahead

With more rain in the forecast, I suspect garden wok will remain light for a little while longer.  As we move further into autumn though, I'm looking forward to watching more seasonal changes unfold.

This Week's Garden Highlights:

While out and about this week, I noticed lots of lovely butterflies fluttering through the garden, taking advantage of whatever brief sunshine they could find.  I also came across quite a number of very large brown stick insects hanging around in the garden beds.  Their clever camouflage always amazes me - if I hadn't been looking closely, I might have missed them entirely!  

How is your garden faring in this wet season?  Are you spotting any autumn bloomers or interesting garden visitors?