Technically June, July and August are the winter months “Down Under”. So that means July is mid-winter. That is almost unbelievable to my English mind as the sun shines down from a clear blue sky day after day and the temperatures are a mild 20C to 24C. Surely the perfect weather on the planet. The only concession being the cooler nights when, cuddled under blankets and dooner, I can get a good nights sleep.
But spring is in the air… This is the Moonlight Grevillea that grows beside the back deck. At the beginning of the month it had just started shooting out the intriguing shaped flower spikes.
Here it is yesterday…
Now the tree is bursting into exuberant growth. A sure sign of the changing seasons.
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Su Leslie of “Zimmerbitch” is hosting a monthly challenge “changing seasons” were she invites you to share the changing seasons in your part of the world, or something that means July Pop over to see the rules of this monthly challenge.
I must get a Grevillea!
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So many to chose from too. Are they available in your area
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They are. I quite like the GREVILLEA williamsonii which only grows to about 1m tall, ‘Canberra Gem’ which is taller but has pretty deep pink flowers and ‘rosmarinifolia’ which is slightly hardier. I would have to grow in pots as then I can bring inside during the winter as they hate the wet.
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When we first moved here the neighbour said the grevillea I planted would die because of the heavy rain they had been having leaving the ground all waterlogged. But 2 years after planting them we had the 10 year drought and they thrived.
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Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I am in danger of creating a cottage garden when I wanted something different so I have to try out a view exotics.
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view? Aargh! Few I meant.
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Gardens are constantly changing. Mine is going through a big transition at the moment with all the trees being cut down
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A lot more light I imagine.
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Yes will have to move all my shade plants now and replant with sun lovers. Going shopping this “arvo”….
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Nothing like plant shopping. I went with my son the other day and could have come away with an armful of plants. We bought four, but I have a feeling I shall be back there soon.
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I had a big spend mainly cow manure, mushroom compost, sugarcane mulch as I am redoing an area also got another grevillea and some annuals, I’m a sucker for keeping trying
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Some annuals are worth it. Though I hope to plant many more perennials this year and next and use annuals as fillers.
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Yes I will be taking out some of the broms and filling with the annuals this year. Must admit Ali is inspiring me with her colourful combinations
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Ali is inspirational that is for sure – her planting combinations and the way she writes about her garden are intoxicating. I have to keep reminding myself that she has a much bigger garden!
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I imagine the book she is writing will be worth owning
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I have seen mention of a book on her blog before, but know nothing about it. Do you know? Are her posts snippets of chapters?
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Only know that it is a work in progress.
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Lovely plant Pauline – I envy your cool nights!!
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Thanks Tina I love this time of the year
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So pretty.
janet
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Thanks Janet they are so unique
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[…] Pauline at Living in Paradise […]
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Thanks for the link Su
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I love the way a single plant can convey change so beautifully. If 20-24 degrees is mid-winter, I’d go completely crazy in summer. 🙂
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I think I’ll come over to NZ or Tasmania during summer to try and get away from the heat, it does drive me bonkers too
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I think we all have Grevilllea envy 🙂 🙂 Blue sky envy today, too, Pauline- I think we must have accidentally swapped seasons. 🙂
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You must be pleased to have had rain recently too Jo, we could do with some now. Will you have a garden when you move to the Algave? I’m wondering how hot our summer will be this year…
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When the thunderstorm broke on Friday night I was spellbound, Pauline. It did ruin our prospects of a ‘red’ moon, and the Sunderland Air Show but it was magnificent. Since then we’ve had hailstones and bouncing rain. Reduced to grey and damp this morning. 🙂 🙂 Indoor pursuits, I think. But yes- we needed it, and there are still high temperatures around. James is in Berlin and it’s in the 30s too.
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We get spectacular thunderstorms in summer and they are scary but fascinating too. I meant to get up and watch the moon but I slept through it.
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Sorry- got caught up in weather and forgot the question- we have a patio we can fill with pots and plants. 🙂 🙂
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Sounds like easy gardening
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I love the way you have captured the delicacy of the Grevillea
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Delicacy is a very good word to describe the grevillea
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What a lovely tree, the Grevillea! Your photos make me want one immediately! So very intricate spikes and curls. And I agree with Tina – how I would love some cool nights!
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I love these trees. They come in all sizes from ground overs, small shrubs to large trees and almost every colour you can think of, plus they are so easy care. I’m loving also getting good night sleep in the cooler weather. Will all change in a few months though
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Moonlight is a lovely Grevillea, but I can’t grow it here. I like the way it looks like a lot of old fashioned hairpins.
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I love that description I will never look at them the same again. I thought they would survive in your area. Are they not frost hardy.
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There are quite a lot of Grevilleas I can’t grow because of frost…usually the prettier ones!
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I didn’t actually realise they were frost tender. But then, of course, it is not something I would have to worry about in my garden
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A fine grevillea show, and such perfect spring shades.
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They are such easy care trees bushes and also ground covers too
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The Royal Horticultural Soc lists loads, https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-results?nm=grevillea&op=0
and they do grow here. We may be having to replace some of our native tree species as our own temperate ones come under increasing threat of imported infections.
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I checked that link and was amazed to see 262 results for grevillea. But what amused me was the first one was grevillea robusta, (Silky Oak) and we have one and it is about 20 metres, and I read that in UK you grow it as an annual, or a small shrub to 3 metres for its foliage… I smiled when I looked up at ours towering above us, about the height of a 4 story house. Yes I think this climate change will definitely alter our gardening styles
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Oh, that is funny. But well done your Silky Oak. We used to have some biggish ones on our drive in Nairobi. Lovely trees.
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They are beautiful trees and the wood is very sort after for cabinet making. Here is a post I did over in my old “Gypsy Life” blog of our tree in flower https://pommepal.wordpress.com/2015/10/14/a-flower-a-week-silky-oak/
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It’s lovely and a variety I haven’t seen over here 🙂
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I believe they do not like wet or old winters. Jude said she would grow one in a pot to take in through winter
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I bet that beauty would grow here. I’ve learned both our locations share the same Mediterranean climate.
It’s funny to think of this climate as Mediterranean, but that what’s they say at the Arboretum not far from me where they’ve got a gorgeous Australian garden.
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We are actually classed as sub-tropical. We have wet humid summers, and dry, cool winters with no frosts. A lovely climate, especially now. But there probably would be a grevillea suitable for your area as they grow all over Australia
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It’s hard to wrap my American mind around winters in July,as well. lol
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After nearly 60 years down under I am almost used to it…
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LOL..almost.
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Changing seasons? This is California. We have summer and a few days that are not. Apricot trees bloom sometime in between.
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That sounds like a perfect place to live and I love ripe apricots picked from the tree and warmed by the sun
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Well . . . those of who grew up with them do not like them so much . . . but I am sure they are good.
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I love winter in Queensland, beautiful days and cool nights. I am not a summer person, at least not with our long, hot and humid summers, Spring and Autumn are more to my liking. Your Grevillea looks great, we have the same one and it has been growing beautifully for about 5 years but it looks dead now and I’ve no idea why.
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Sorry to hear about your grevillea. Ours is about 20 years old and it gets a very hard prune about every 3 years. I find summer humidity very trying, especially when it is hard to get a decent nights sleep
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Perhaps not pruning it was the problem, we really only removed the flowers once they had finished blooming. The humidity is revolting in summer, my hubby talks of moving further north every now and then but I could not stand it.
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I have just recently learnt that grevillea like to be pruned and I prune mine quite hard now in winter to stop them going leggy. Humidity is hard, but I put up with it because about 9 months are beautiful. But I certainly could not live any further north. Where do you live?
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That explains it, our one surviving (and thriving) Grevillea has had heaving pruning as a result of two bad storms and a little human intervention. We live not far from the theme parks 🙂
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[…] I’m so pleased Su of “Zimmerbitch” runs this “Changing Seasons” challenge as it prompts me to try and keep a record of each month. I can go back to last year and see what was happening 12 months ago. […]
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