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Changing Seasons : March 2018

It is now Autumn, my favourite season. The days are still warm but the nights are cooler and, thank goodness, the humidity has disappeared. I feel revitalised, energised and ready to tackle new chores. I have even started my daily walk around the block each day.

But it has been an unusual month weather wise, it has rained almost every day, or so I thought. But I checked the statistics and was very surprised to find it has only rained on 14 days and only 160mm of rain fell, 203mm is the average for March. We went away for a week at the beginning of the month and left the garden to look after itself and during that week it rained almost every day, so that, I think, has coloured my perception of the month. But thank goodness for the rain as we are now heading into winter and, normally, the dry season for this area.

It has also been the big downsizing of the workload in the garden this month, by getting rid of many of the potted plants that had accumulated (I told you the story of the downsizing here) But the growth has been phenomenal this month so now the gardening tasks will be pruning and creating lots of lovely compost.

Come for a walk with me along the garden path to see what is growing.The garden 060_3000x4000Can you just see the compost bin lurking behind the plants waiting for the next load, and there is my favourite place to sit…

Here is a gallery of what is flowering at the moment.

 

 

The heliconias are coming to the end of their flowering period, they have been hanging around all summer. But notice the ants? There are millions of them around at the moment.

Witchy Poo is keeping an eye on things…The garden 032_3000x4000

 

Jack’s baby Desert Roses are now out of the nursery and on to the special stand he made for them. He still has 7 smaller ones on the house deck getting special treatment. Rather strange how they all have exactly the same treatment yet some race away and some sulk.

 

Here is the Buddha’s Belly (Jatropha Podagrica) You can see why he is called that, he is starting to get quite a portly figure. Do you feel like giving his belly a rub for good luck?

Su over at Zimmerbitch is now hosting the “Changing Seasons” monthly challenge. It is a good way to record what is happening month by month. You may like to join in. Go over and check it out

56 comments

  1. I like the photos especially the dragon fly. They lay their eggs on the lily leaves and the lava live under water in the fish pond then like a butterfly or more like a cicada they transform. What an amazing world.😎🐨and thanks for featuring the Desert Roses.

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  3. Just discovered your blog, so am following if that’s ok. I read your ‘about’ and was pleased to see you spent a lot of time in NZ. I’m from there myself, but have lived in Australia for a long time. I’m in central NSW, so my garden is very different from yours!

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    • G’day Jane love to have you as one of my blogging buddies. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment I’ll pop over and have a look at your blog.

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  4. Your garden looks truly lovely, and the colors are like looking at a beautiful rainbow. I think I would really like Jack and you to be my neighbors. I have a very large outdoor potting table that I think Jack and I could share over some really good gardening conversations. 🙂

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  6. Your garden looks lush and lovely even at the end of Summer! We’ve had a lot of rain this month too, and my you should see all the weeds I have! Some dandelions are over 2 ft high! They seem to have sprung up over night! As soon as it stops raining long enough to let the sun out I’ll start weeding out back.
    I got caught up on weeding out front this week, so there’s a start to it anyway. 🙂

    Happy Week-end!

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    • Jack would love your dandelions, we don’t seem to get them here and he would like some in the garden!!! Weeds are not a major problem in the garden as I have ground cover plants and other areas I heavily mulch with sugar cane mulch, but they still manage to sneak through. Pruning is my major job at the moment

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  7. Your garden is such a tropical delight. And I know how much hard work it all takes. Love the colours and all the flowers. Mine are struggling a bit, but the miniature daffs are bravely marching on and some other bulbs are starting to flower. Just hope we have no more freezing temperatures!

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          • I could probably spend all summer visiting different nurseries, from the chain ones to independent growers. Hardy exotics, hardy perennials, herbs, a couple of famous ones – Burncoose and the Duchy of Cornwall – succulents and even a dahlia farm, plus all the plants sold at all the gardens! I really need something around an acre!!

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            • There used to be an “open garden” scheme where private gardeners opened their gardens for viewing. They would charge about $5 per person and the money raised would go to charity. There would be a garden almost every weekend within a 100km radius. Sadly it doesn’t operate any more. Only a couple of spring festivals during September when private gardens are opened and often they fall on the same weekend, grrr very bad organisation….

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  11. Your garden is looking lovely Pauline. I’m so glad you’re sharing it with us. Mine is very green at the moment, but lacking in other colour, so yours is a very welcome visual feast.

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    • Yes it is a Poinciana tree and I only know it by that name but your question made me check Google and this is what I found
      “Delonix regia, the flame tree, is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. In many tropical parts of the world it is grown as an ornamental tree and in English it is given the name royal poinciana or flamboyant. It is also one of several trees known as “flame tree”.

      This species was previously placed in the genus Poinciana, named for Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, the 17th century governor of Saint Christophe (Saint Kitts). It is a non nodulating legume.” (Wikipedia)

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    • Thanks Gilly, it is a tropical garden, I’ve tried creating a cottage garden in the past but those plants do not like our climate, so I now go with the flow and plant what likes it here. I used to have a cottage garden in NZ, different climate over there.

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