I just wanted to keep a record of my garden in flower through the seasons - starting with ...
My garden flowering through Summer (December to February) 2008 - 2009:
Acalypha in flower
Ardisia elliptica shrub
Ardisia elliptica flowers
Allamanda cathartica
Barleria
Begonia
Bougainvillea
Cassia Fistula
Citharexylum Spinosum
Clitoria Ternatea
Coleus flower spike
Combretum Constrictum – New Guinea Bottlebrush
Coral Ardisia
Croton flower spike
Cuphea Mexicana
Delonix Regia flowers
Dianthea Nodosa
Duranta Repens
Dwarf Mussaenda
Galphimia Glauca
Gazania
Gerbera
Gum in flower
Hibiscus rosa sinensis.
Hibiscus Schizopetalus
Ixoras
Jacaranda Mimosifolia
Jasminum Officinale
Kaemferia Elegans
Lagerstroemia Speciosa
Our native Lobelia
Mandevilla
Malvaviscus Arboreus var. mexicanus
Mussaenda Philippica ‘Aurore’
Mussaenda Philippica ‘Bangkok Rose’
Nematanthus Glabra
Pelargonium
Pentas
Petunia
Planchonia careya
Plumeria Obtusa ‘Hawaiin Sunset’
Plumeria Obtusa ‘Singapore White’
Portulaca
Russelia Juncea
Tabebuia Heterophylla
Torenias
Our native violet – Viola Hederacea
Neomarica Longifolia
Zephyranthes Grandiflora
For the record:
My region’s climate is unique amongst other coastal locations along the North Queensland coast. Unlike most of tropical Queensland, my region is appropriately referred to as the Dry Tropics because of its relatively low rainfall compared with other areas. The climate is warm and sub-humid, with a hot wet summer period of variable duration and intensity, and a warm dry winter season.
The summer months here are very hot and very humid with “build-up” thunderstorms starting in late October or November. Bursts of monsoon rains from late December through until early April deliver our highest rainfalls, and this is also the season that Tropical Cyclones can threaten the region. Previous 'wet' seasons produced very low rainfall averages - we had a series of drought years as well. So far this year we’ve received 1690mm – a record.
December, which is the warmest month of the year, records a daily maximum average temperature of 31.4 o C and daily minimum temperatures averaging 25.0 o C. Hot, muggy and uncomfortable conditions are common during the summer. Humidity is frequently between 60% and 75% during this time. It is thought that because of the humidity a 32°C day in Townsville will often feel like a 37°C day in a drier climate. Keeping the garden going through summer is hard work – with monsoonal rainfall, cyclonic winds, scorching summer heat, high levels of humidity and very bright sunshine.
