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.

The Start Of A New Gardening Year ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal, Mid-Summer, Week 2, January 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 2

Seasons:  Mid-Summer & Wet Season

Daytime Temps:  30°C - 33°C

Night Time Temps: 22°C - 24°C

Humidity Levels: between 60% & 90%

Hours of daylight:  13 hours

Rainfall:  0.4 mm

January marks the beginning of a new gardening year for me, though I know other Australian gardeners might differ in opinion.  Many consider the arrival of spring as the true start of a gardening year.  However, here in the tropical north of Australia, January - mid-summer and well into the wet and cyclone seasons - feels like a natural starting point. 

January's typical unpredictable weather often brings challenges that define the gist of what needs to happen for the rest of the year.  Preparing for the arrival of a lengthy dry season though, which typically runs from April to November, begins now.

The Unusual Weather Patterns of January 2025

This January, the weather has already been particularly peculiar. While November traditionally marks the beginning of the wet and the cyclone seasons, both of which typically last until mid-March or April, this year’s wet season seems stuck in a holding pattern. The usual monsoon trough—our “rainmaker”—has been notably absent, and the expected tropical cyclones have yet to appear.

In the first week of the year, we’ve experienced only isolated showers, amounting to a mere 1.6 mm (less than half an inch) of rain. This follows a record-breaking December rainfall total, but even then, the showers and storms last month were sporadic, hinting at the delayed onset of the monsoon trough. The absence of monsoonal rains so far into this wet season is highly unusual and has left us wondering how the rest of the 2025 monsoon and cyclone season will play out.

Garden Observations and Preparations

January’s unpredictable weather so far has reminded me of the need to adapt and prepare. Strong winds, sudden downpours, or extended dry spells can all disrupt the garden, so I’m focusing on the following tasks:

• Pruning Shrubs: Cyclone season can bring fierce winds, so it’s essential to ensure the foliage of  shrubs in exposed spaces is pruned back to reduce wind resistance.

• Soil Care: Adding organic matter to improve soil resilience in preparation for the long dry season ahead, but also to ensure the growth of strong root systems to anchor plants firmly in the ground and guard against them blowing over.

• Weed Management: The sporadic rain received so far has encouraged weed growth, so staying on top of this now will save effort later.

• Watering Regime: During the spring, a watering regime was adopted that entailed watering thoroughly, but infrequently, so the water soaked down deep into the soil to encourage the roots of plants to grow deep down into the soil.

Looking Ahead

The absence of the monsoon and cyclones is both a relief and a concern. Without these defining weather patterns, the wet season feels incomplete, and it’s uncertain how this will impact the garden in the months ahead. For now, I’ll remain vigilant and adaptable, taking each day as it comes while planning for the dry season.

It’s a strange and fascinating start to the gardening year—one that promises to be full of challenges and lessons.

On-Going Garden Projects

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Courtyard Garden

The area on one side of the steps under the pergola has undergone a significant transformation.

Previously dominated by Nephrolepis biserrata (Giant Sword Fern), Russelia and Neomarica longifolia (Yellow Walking Iris) for the past 20 years, it has been cleared entirely. 

Over the last months of last year, I slowly worked to improve this space by adding enriched soil, small rocks, and stones to create tiers and edging. With these changes came the introduction of many new plants.

This garden now has two distinct sections:

• An Upper Section which has:

• Coleus

• Begonia semperflorens

• Impatiens

• Cyathea cooperi (Australian Tree Fern)

• Blechnum (Silver Lady Fern)

• Alyssum

• A Lower Section which has:

• Dwarf  Tabernaemontana corymbosa (Dwarf Pinwheel)

• Viola hederacea (Native Violet)

• Torenia

The goal for the lower section is to encourage a wildflower-meadow-like appearance.  My hope is that the Violets will spread more, and the Torenias will self-seed everywhere, eventually creating a dense, natural-looking, vibrant and colourful patch of flowers.

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Shade House Garden

This garden space had also become overrun with Giant Sword Fern and Yellow Walking Iris.

Both were removed from the garden beds flanking the pathway and small patio.  The Giant Sword Fern, however, has been left to thrive on the rock wall that borders one side of the shade house garden.

My vision for this space is a rainforest-like ambiance, achieved by incorporating plants at varying heights, including ground plants, potted plants, and hanging baskets.

So far,

• The In-Ground Plants include:

• Dracaena reflexa (Song of India)

• Begonia semperflorens

• Dracaena marginata 'Bicolour' 

• Colocasia (Elephant Ear)

• Impatiens

• Schefflera (Dwarf Variegated Umbrella Tree)

• Evolvulus 'Blue Eyes'

• Microsorum scolopendria, synonym Phymatosorus scolopendria (Monarch Fern)

• Caladiums

• The Potted Plants include:

• Coleus

• Costus productus (Orange Spiral Ginger)

• Syngoniums (Arrowheads)

• Rex Begonia

• Alocasia amazonica

• Strobilanthes

• Davallia (Rabbits Foot Fern)

• Phyllotaenium or Xanthosoma lindenii - Caladium lindenii

• Microsorum musifolium (Crocodile Fern)

• Crossandra infundibuliformis (Firecracker Plant)

• The Hanging Baskets presently have:

• Calibrachoa

• Dianthus

The addition of colourful hanging baskets should enhance the space, introducing pops of colour to complement the lush greenery.   Over time, I'll be changing the plants in these hanging baskets to things like:  Acalypha herzogiana (Dwarf Cat's Tails), Fittonias, Streptocarpus and Dragonwing Begonias.

Hanging Baskets, set at differing heights, are part of the layered approach that I hope will gradually transform the Shade House Garden from the impenetrable jungle it had become into the serene, multi-dimensional rainforest retreat I envision.

Re-Discovering The Joy Of Gardening ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal, Mid-Summer, Week 1, January 2025

It's been a very long time since my last blog post.  Ten years in fact, and a lot has happened in my corner of Australia between then and now!  All that aside, I'm so very happy to be back working in my garden full time now and I have every intention of re-activating my garden journal for 2025.

After a 40 year career in education, I've retired, and my time is now my own!!  I can think of nothing better for my emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health than getting back to nurturing all the garden spaces that have fallen into decline through no fault of their own.  I'm definitely in my happy place when I'm outdoors wandering around our place and tending the garden.  So ... 

Garden Journal Entry: January 4, 2025

As we step into a new year, I thought it fitting to begin this journal by looking back and reflecting on the last decade of gardening at my place. I'll keep it as concise as possible while sharing the highs and lows of the journey.

The Impact of Life's Demands

Between 2015 and 2023, my work commitments increased significantly due to changes in my role in education and a return to full-time work. Balancing these demands left little time for gardening. Family life, too, grew more complex and demanding, with children and grandchildren navigating their own challenges. Time with them became a priority whenever I wasn’t working, leaving even less room for serious garden care. As a result, the garden often took a back seat, becoming overwhelming to manage and leading to significant losses and transformations.

Losses in the Garden

The most poignant of these was the loss of two magnificent Mussaendas. The pink one in the front garden, and the stunning white one at the back of the courtyard, both gave up the ghost. These towering beauties, standing at around six feet and adorned with blooms during their prime, had been a part of my garden for two decades. Perhaps they simply reached the end of their natural lifespan, but their absence left a noticeable void.

The Tabebuias (on the left) were ripped to shreds during Cyclone Kirrly
and the Poinciana (on the right) simply fell over and crashed to the ground! 

The loss of large mature trees was another significant challenge. In 2018, we lost a 15-foot Acacia (outside the shade house garden) and a 30-foot Poinciana (at the end of the car shed), which drastically altered the light conditions in the garden spaces underneath. Many plants that had thrived in the shade of these trees struggled or perished in the new environment. 

Then came the devastating Tropical Cyclone Kirrily in 2024, which wreaked havoc on the property. Several towering trees, including two 20-foot Tabebuias, were lost, and the Durantas lining our driveway were reduced from their majestic 10-foot height to a humble three feet due to heavy pruning necessitated by storm damage.

There were also many shrubs and ground cover plants that died off

in the gravel-driveway garden beds (Hibiscus, Russelia, Cuphea), 

in the front-of-house garden beds (Galphimia, Hibiscus, Azalea) 

and the back-of-the-courtyard garden bed (Acalypha, Aralia).

The Courtyard Garden’s Decline

The courtyard garden, once the heart of my gardening efforts and a space of vibrant beauty, suffered greatly during this time. Before 2015, it boasted over 100 potted plants, each meticulously cared for. 

By last year, that number had dwindled to just 10, most of which were struggling to survive. This once-thriving sanctuary became a shadow of its former self.

The Shade House Takeover

The shade house garden experienced its own challenges. The relentless growth of the giant Sword Fern turned it into an almost impassable jungle. The fern’s dominance stifled other plants and made accessing the space a chore I rarely undertook. It felt as though the garden itself was reflecting the chaos and neglect brought on by the whirlwind of life.

Moving Forward

As I reflect on these changes, I’m reminded of the resilience of gardens and the potential for renewal. While the past decade brought significant losses and challenges, it also provides an opportunity to rebuild and re-imagine these spaces. My hope for this year is to rediscover the joy of gardening, one small step at a time, and to nurture these spaces back to life.