Changing Seasons : August 2018…

This is the last month of winter and it has been so dry, no rain since April and then it was only a token amount. The daytime temperatures have been a very pleasant mid 20’sC constantly above the average of 20C to 22C for this time of the year, but the night-time temperatures have plummeted to record lows often below 10C and the lowest down to a shivery 4C for a few nights. The sky has been cloudless and a perfect cerulean blue. With no humidity this is, weather wise, my favourite month.

The garden has had a major make over. Back in June (see here) we pruned back the large paperbark tree and drastically thinned out the golden cane palms, taking 3 of them right out. Overnight the garden changed from a shady tropical/rain forest style to a garden flooded with sun and light. I could now follow my dream of creating a native/cottage style garden.

July was spent taking out, relocating, giving away or composting the shade loving, tropical plants that previously dominated the garden. This corner was filled with easy care bromeliads. Out they came to be given to friends and neighbours and I planted a group of natives. Small Grevillea, Ozmanthus, Correa and Kangaroo Paw. To fill the gaps until these shrubs take up the space I have planted annuals. Now I can sit on this seat and watch the garden grow…

Notice how bright and sunny it is. So the month passes getting drier and drier and I had to water all the new plants daily.

This is another new area. This gets some shade in the morning but full afternoon sun and this has a new Grevillea, “Peaches and Cream” and it has just produced its first flower. What a delicate beauty it is.

Along the driveway I have planted pelargoniums and alyssum to create a cottage garden look.

So every day I hope for rain. But at least I can water the garden as we put in a spear pump in 2000 when the 10 year drought took hold.

Then on Friday night I was woken at 2am to the sound of torrential rain. It was a glorious sound and it kept going all night. Next morning 10mm was in the gauge. But, to my joy, it kept raining all weekend and by Monday morning a beautiful 50mm had soaked the garden and filled the rain water tank. The plants were radiant, sparkling and bedecked with raindrop jewels.

The pony tail palm is making a real feature now the other palms that shaded it have been cut down and its fronds were jewel encrusted too. On Saturday. after the rain had started, I spent the day giving the beds their spring feed of Dynamic Lifter fertilizer and a covering of sugar cane mulch. So now the garden will not need watering again for a while and I am happy that it will be ok when we go away for a couple of weeks.

Here is a gallery of some of the other plants flowering this month…

And I’m happy to report bluey is now a regular visitor.

So that is August, came in dry and goes out wet, and in 3 days time spring will be here.

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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.