Watch This Space

One of our crepe myrtles is looking good this year, it should be spectacular soon. Funny how the vibrancy of the pink varies though, not just in the photographs but in real life. Sometimes I glance out the window and think was it always so pale and other times I think yes, that's the amazing colour I remember from a few years ago.

I Wonder

I wonder why some crepe myrtles are already in full bloom and some, for example mine, are not? I wonder why some crepe myrtles, for example mine, take a holiday from flowering in some years? Hoping for more flowers this year though.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

I'm rushing this post a bit because I'm late and it's the middle of the night. I was starting to wonder if I'd have anything flowering in late summer but suddenly some of the plants have recovered from the heatwave and are putting on a show. I was especially pleased to see how many hebes are flowering. Check out other gardens at May Dreams Gardens.

Abutilon

Albizzia

Aquilegia

Brachycome

Hebe

Hebe

Hebe

Hebe

Hebe

Kniphofia

Liriope

Tulbaghia

Lawn Substitute

During the drought we decided to reduce our lawn and in this area we have replaced it with a groundcover. This is a native plant called myoporum parvifolium or Creeping Boobialla. It is supposed to be very hardy, frost tolerant and suitable for xeriscaping. At first we had some trouble with individual plants and had to replace a couple but the space is filling in nicely this year.

Last summer.

It flowers too.

Yesterday.

The Days Are Getting Shorter

The sun is starting to creep back into our northern windows again. Living in a solar passive house really emphasises the movement of the sun through the seasons.

I wonder why one of the birch trees is sprouting from the base like this? I prune the lower branches and sometimes new ones appear but I don't remember ever seeing a whole circle like this from the very base.

A major cleanup of the garage led to the discovery of my old rabbit statue which I took inside once during a hail storm. Hubby later tossed something on top of it and knocked it over and broke a foot off. It seems to work okay wedged into this pot. The condition of the pot plant is another matter. Not the luxuriant cascading growth I was hoping for.

Feeling Frustrated

Hubby headed out to mow the lawn. As usual I was stuck inside. I really don't spend enough time in the garden any more. I got rid of my old gardening clothes and shoes and I haven't worked out quite how to arrange a new gardening routine that won't result in muddy boots and mulchy clothes constantly spread around our rather petite entrance hall. I wish I had a mudroom, what a great concept they are. A walk-in linen cupboard would be nice too, it was on the list for our dream house and somehow got overlooked. We didn't even manage to include a long cupboard along the corridor, which is something we had in every house we've lived in including the little cheapy we rented while building. Add to that a backlog of problems that Hubby optimistically thought weren't there or would go away by themselves, and so I find myself preoccupied with the house rather than enjoying the physical and mental benefits of the garden. But late in the afternoon the lure of the sunshine got too great and I dashed out to take some photos and do some supervising. 

I love the ferny foliage of the silk trees 

(also known as mimosas in other parts of the world).

Hubby dug out the Pittosporum Golfball I mentioned earlier.

I think we'll plant something different but I'm not sure what.

I made him prune some of the large pittosporums. 

More regular pruning would make them denser.

I pointed out the diosma was starting to crowd the nandina.

He really is the most reluctant pruner.

The crepe myrtles are getting ready to flower. 

I don't know why I've seen others around already in full bloom.

There are shoots coming up where we had planted a green manure crop last winter.

I think it has self-seeded.

Yep, that looks like one of the plants from last year.

I wonder how it will do this year with a much earlier start?

January Weather Update

Celsius - We just had our hottest month on record. The average maximum temperature was 32.3℃  which was slightly above the previous record of 32℃ set in February 1968. The 18th was our hottest January day on record at 42℃. The previous hottest was 41.4 on 31 January 1968. Ten days were over 35℃, the average is only three days. The coolest day was 22.8℃. And I just saw on the news that Australia as a whole also set a new monthly record at 36.9℃. 

Fahrenheit - We just had our hottest month on record. The average maximum temperature was 90.14℉  which was slightly above the previous record of 89.6℉ set in February 1968. The 18th was our hottest January day on record at 107.6℉. The previous hottest was 106.52℉ on 31 January 1968. Ten days were over 95℉, the average is only three days. The coolest day was 73℉. And I just saw on the news that Australia as a whole also set a new monthly record at 98.42℉.

Rainfall for the city ended up being above average, probably due to the storms on the final weekend, but I won't go into details about that, it seems to vary quite a bit around the region. Although we did get some useful rain here we had some days when we'd see rain on the forecast and see rain on the radar and see rain over the mountains, and then we'd see the rain skim past to the south of us.