Mid-Spring Notes ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal ... Mid-Spring, Week 44, October 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 44

This week's weather:

Seasons:  Mid-Spring / Dry Season / Bushfire Season
Daytime Temps:  31°C - 34°C            
Night Time Temps:  24°C - 26°C
Humidity Levels: 55% - 92%  over 24 hours    
Hours of daylight:  12 hours
Rainfall:  4 mm (less than 1 inch)

Weather & Mood

Our mid-spring month is about to end, and already the air carries summer's weight.  The surrounding bushland has slipped into the brittle, beige palette of the dry season.  It's exceedingly unattractive at the moment, typical for this time of the year.

In the open outdoor garden beds, even the hardy, heat- and dry-tolerant stalwarts are showing signs of stress - leaves flagging and textures dulled.  Heat builds early; humidity surges through the day.  The soil pulls tight.  It's the time when the tough mature plants earn their keep out there.

A tiny mercy arrived this past week:  4mm of rain.  It barely kissed the outdoor beds, but the potted plants under shade or in sheltered spaces drank it like a blessing. 

Where The Colour Lives

At this time of year, I step back from those larger outdoor garden spaces (apart from occasional deep watering) and lean into the smaller spaces where I can actually make a difference.  The contrast is stark.  Out there it's survival.  In here - close to the house, in the shade house and courtyard spaces - it's small pockets of cheer that lift the mood when everything beyond looks tired and thirsty.  

Hanging baskets and pots become the canvas for colour, and because I can fine-tune light, airflow, and watering, these sheltered spaces keep the garden's spirit alive.

Water Is The Work

Most dry season maintenance happens in the early hours.  I set the sprinklers before the sun climbs, or as the sun is setting, then spend time hand-watering the courtyard and shade house garden spaces.  After a long, dry season, watering the most important job - not glamorous, just essential.

Signs of Mid-Spring

• Surrounding Bushland:  Fresh, bright green leaf-flush on the Eucalyptus platyphylla (Poplar Gums).  

Their flowering is done now, and the Rainbow Lorikeets, Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Figbirds, and bees have been making the most of the last nectar and seed run.

• Close to the House:  New leaves unfurling on the Sterculia quadrifida (Peanut Tree), the deciduous Plumerias (Frangipanis), the Tabebuia heterophylla, and the Lagerstroemia speciosa (Queen's Crepe Myrtle).  Their flowering cycles are over for now as well.

• Open, Outdoor Garden Beds:  Colour (other than green) is thin on the ground, held mostly by Nerium (Oleander) blooms) - top & bottom right, the old Hibiscus rosa-sinensis - bottom left, and the Hibiscus schizopetalus shrubs - middle & top left. 

 

Sporadically, blooms can be spotted on the various Adenium obesums (Desert Roses),

the Gerberas, the Alpinia zerumbet (Shell Ginger) and the Neomarica gracillis (Walking Iris)).

A Job I'd Been Avoiding

At the start of this month - before the heat and humidity spiked - I finally tackled a messy corner of an outdoor bed near the shade house.  

A Duranta had gone from "vigorous" to "tyrannical", crowding a Mussaenda and a couple of Lagerstroemias indica (Crepe Myrtles), and generally making the whole bed look unkempt.  Everything needed a hard reset.  After two days of cutting back and clearing, I could step back and actually breathe.  I'm fairly sure the shrubs did too.  

The Mussaenda and the Lagerstroemias have all sprouted new growth after their severe haircuts.

What's Working Right Now?

As I've mentioned the shade house and courtyard spaces are a sanctuary of colour and interest right now.  They are the saving grace of this mid-spring month.  Years of trial and error have taught me exactly what will perform right now without fighting a losing battle with the dry season conditions.

Plant Roster (Courtyard & Shade House Performers)

Below are the plants that consistently carry the courtyard and shade house at this time of year. These aren't strict cultivation notes - just how I use them to keep the smaller spaces lively when the big beds are struggling.

• Neomarica longifolia (Walking Iris)
  Architectural fans and occasional elegant blooms; anchors the shade corners and gives structure when blooms are scarce.

• Evolvulus
  A soft, low accent in hanging containers; useful for lightening compositions and bridging between foliage‑heavy plantings.

• Begonia semperflorens (Wax Begonias)
  Reliable dots of colour; neat habit that behaves well at eye level in baskets and along the benching.

• Petunias
  Cheerful fillers for quick impact; I rotate them through sunny edges of the courtyard for a seasonal pop.

• Salvias
  Slender spires that lift the eye above low plantings; I use them as vertical punctuation between broader leaves.

• Alyssum
  A fine, edging froth in pots; helpful for softening container lines and drawing the eye along pathways.

• Impatiens
  Shade‑friendly colour blocks; I cluster them in large pots where their steady show offsets the dryness outside.

• Pentas
  Sturdy, long‑view flowers; I use them as reliable mid‑height anchors that keep the courtyard feeling animated.

• Spathoglottis (Ground Orchids)
  Jewel‑like accents; they reward the shaded positions with a composed, tidy presence.

• Plectranthus
  Generous foliage and texture; excellent for filling gaps and cooling down hot colour combinations.

Years of trial and error taught me where to find momentum in a dry spring:  shelter, containment, and control.  Pots and baskets let me tune conditions without fighting the broader climate.  When the open garden feels parched and stubborn, these rooms of colour keep me gardening - eyes on small miracles.  The rest can wait for rain.

Spring Awakens In The Dry Tropics ... My Dry Tropics Garden Journal ... Beginning of Spring, Week 38, September, 2025

Garden Journal Entry - Week 38

This week's weather:

Seasons:  Beginning of Spring / Dry Season / Bushfire Season
Daytime Temps:  28°C - 32°C            
Night Time Temps:  19°C - 22°C
Humidity Levels: 50 - 70%  in a day    
Hours of daylight:  12 hours
Rainfall:  0 mm (0 inches)

🌿 Subtle Signs of Seasonal Change

Early spring in the dry tropics:  twelve hours of daylight, dry landscape,
and the lingering haze of distant bushfires.

September marks the first month of Spring here in the southern hemisphere.  The term "spring" can be misleading when referring to the tropics, as it doesn't bring the usual connotations of a northern hemisphere spring, or even a temperate Australian spring.  Our "dry tropics Spring" is quite a contrast and is marked by:

• rapidly rising temperatures, both day and night 
• a dry, brown landscape
• increased fire risk from the dry grasses and ground cover 
• the emergence of reptiles
• and the anticipation of the coming "wet" season after months of the "dry" season. 

For now, the seasonal shift from winter has been gentle and subtle, more like a gradual unfolding rather than a sudden transformation. Days and nights are definitely hotter (as noted above), humidity is slowly rising, the UV index sits at 'extreme' for most of the day, and we're five months into the dry season.  

Rainfall since the start of our dry season:

May - 49.2 mm

June - 24.8 mm

July -  16.4 mm

August -  0 mm

September (so far) -  0 mm

🔥 Fire Season Continues

Spring here is not all about a lush green landscape.  It's the opposite - there's parched ground and vegetation, the fire risk is high and it's time to remain vigilant.  The combination of rising air and soil temperatures, general dryness, and strong winds create ideal conditions for bushfires. 

Rising smoke from the bushfire that began in the ranges more than a week ago - this photo
was taken on day two.

• Fires have already flared in bushland areas around our city, including a massive blaze in the ranges surrounding our rural suburb.  
• Thankfully, these fires are far from homes, posing no threat to life or property, but the lingering smoke hanging over our rural suburb for more than a week now reminds us of the season's hazards.

Wide areas of bush land growth have been whipper-snippered down to the ground
to create fire breaks along our property fence line.

Preparation Tip:

The creation of fire breaks along the fence lines of our property is an annual job, and essential at this time of the year.  This job was only just completed a few weeks ago.  It was a back-breaking work for my hubby, as the growth in the bush paddock had exploded after the wet season at the beginning of the year.  

This year's growth in the bush paddock, especially from noxious weeds and invasive species like Chromolaena odorata (Siam Weed), Lantana camara (Lantana), Sicklepods and Snakeweed, made the job particularly challenging.  These weeds increase fire risk, so need to be cleared from the edge of our property.

💮 Eucalyptus In Bloom

Amidst this dry, dusty backdrop, spring is quietly celebrated by nature. The Eucalyptus platyphyllas - one of the dominant eucalypts in our region - are a standout at this time of the year, cloaked in their clusters of fluffy white flowers.

Fluffy white Eucalyptus blooms dripping with nectar attract native bees and wasps,
filling the air with a honeyed perfume.

These nectar-laden blooms attract native bees and wasps, and when the gusts of wind pause, the soft droning of pollinators and the sweet, honey-like fragrance of the blossoms make it feel like spring has truly arrived. We are lucky to have a couple of these trees on our property, bringing the surrounding bushland into our garden.

💧 Garden Under The Dry

Yard areas around the house are now almost completely browned off
and will remain that way until the wet season arrives

The long dry season has left its mark:

• Yard areas and surrounding landscapes are crisp and brown.
• These areas aren't prioritized for watering to avoid exorbitant bills.

Both the established Murraya paniculatas (Mock Orange) and Crotons
have responded to the deep watering by flowering, outside their usual blooming period.  

• Older, established plants sometimes need a deep watering, which helps sustain them until the rains return. Some even reward this care with flowers - a quiet, "thank you!"

The grassed area near the entrance to our house remains a priority for watering
throughout the dry season.

Areas prioritized for watering, despite the cost involved:

• Grassed area near the entrance to our house
• Shade house and courtyard garden spaces
• The newly planted garden projects

With the rapid drying out of these spaces, what was a once a weekly watering routine has now turned into a daily necessity, especially for all the potted plants out on the courtyard and in the shade house.

The two new garden project spaces are both doing well.
The plants have all settled in and receive lots of attention and care in this establishment phase.

With the heat rising and days starting earlier, I'm out very early in the mornings to do basic gardening jobs:

• Tidying (mostly involves picking up dropped Golden Cane Palm fronds) and weeding
• Deadheading
• Turning on / moving the sprinklers and soaker hoses.

These early hours remain a peaceful time to enjoy the garden before the heat of the day sets in.

🍃 Creeping Fig Challenge

A major pruning task this week, in the space between the house and the pergola area of the courtyard garden, involved a rather thick Dypsis lutescens (Golden Cane Palm) stem that had been bent down by the weight of Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig / Fig Ivy).

For those who have admired photos of Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig) and its ability to create lush green walls or hide unsightly structures - take heed!

In its juvenile stage, this creeper is a gardener's delight: delicate, small leaves form an attractive, vibrant covering (as seen on our shade house garden entrance - seen on the left - and the rock wall beside the entrance - seen below).

However, it requires regular pruning to stay manageable and maintain its charm. Left unchecked - as happened in this corner of my garden - the creeping fig quickly enters its mature stage. The leaves grow up to five times larger, stems thicken into woody vines over an inch in diameter, and it begins to produce fruit, eventually becoming a serious landscaping challenge.

Before:

This video shows the bent palm stem completely and thickly covered with the creeping fig.  It had created a canopy that was never intended!

During & After:

The bottom photo shows the now cleared and open area between our house and the pergola area.

This experience has been a reminder that even the most beautiful climbers need careful attention, especially in areas where they can overwhelm other plants or structures.

🦋 Life Among The Dryness

Even in the midst of dryness though, there’s plenty of life. Birds flit among the trees. Agile Wallabies make short work of weed piles left in the parched yard.

Early morning strolls reveal birds, wallabies, butterflies,
and the busy life of the garden, even during the dry season.

Lots of butterflies, including the stunning Papilio demoleus (Chequered Swallowtails), move between nectar sources introduced in the courtyard garden.

🌸Spring Colour Pops

Spring colour brightens corners of the garden, offering a cheerful contrast to the surrounding brown bleakness.

The Tabebuia impetiginosa (Pink Trumpet Tree) down the driveway is putting on a final flourish of flower sprays,

while Adenium obesum (Desert Rose) plants scattered around the property are blooming once more.

In the shade house, the Neomarica longifolia (Yellow Walking Iris) have begun flowering again,

and the Evolvulus (Blue Eyes) and Begonia semperflorens (Wax Begonias) continue their show.

The pots of Oriental liliums fill the air with their magnificent perfume.

The courtyard garden is a riot of colour this month. Of course, this colour is deliberately introduced to lift the mood, offering a cheerful contrast to the surrounding brown.

Potted annuals - Pansies, Alyssum, Petunias, and Calibrachoas -

thrive alongside flowering Impatiens, Begonias, and Pentas. It’s a vibrant patchwork of blooms, a reminder that even in the dry tropics’ challenging conditions, spring arrives with its own quiet magic.

💟 Highlights From The Garden

The purple Spathoglottis (Ground Orchids) and the yellow Phalaenopsis are showing off their stunning blooms.

I've just added a few new Orchids to my small collection and they've been placed in the bright, dappled light of the shade house garden. I know very little about Orchids, so this is the start of a new learning curve.

The first is labelled: Dendrobium (Spider Magic x Dark Dame) x Dendrobium canaliculatum. Apparently this is not a single Orchid hybrid, but rather three distinct Orchids.

The second is labelled: Dendrobium Mao Gold x Dendrobium Discolor. This is a hybrid.

The third is labelled: Brassocattleya Yuan Nan Star War. A hybrid that is apparently a large-growing orchid that produces a lovely fragrance.

At the moment, I'm enjoying their flowering cycle but will need to spend time accessing information about their growth habits, needs and care requirements.

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

Our Tropical Wintertime Draws To A Close ... My Dry Tropics Garden 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!