I can feel myself starting to become neurotic ( yet again) about the absence of rain in January.
I looked up the monthly fall in the paper this morning: this year we've only had 22.8 mm; last year we'd had 89.6 by the same time. Our water tank is down to about a quarter full - this is all we use on the back garden and try to avoid using the mains water. The front is rarely watered and is planted to withstand drought. There is rain forecast tomorrow and those clouds in the photo surely mean something? (note- it has taken me so long to finish this post the clouds have disappeared. Sigh.)
I am wanting to completely re-do the front anyway - pull out some tired things and groundcovers that are out of control. Come Autumn it is garden barn dance ( change partners) time yet again.
Notes on photos:
1. sky, clouds
2. Black Boy rose has today produced its first flower. The other BB bush has not. Not impressed with these at all compared to Mr Lincoln. I may go all Henry the Eighth with these two and get rid of them, or give them one more year to shape up.
3. Foxgloves are still flowering. It's going to be time to plant the new lot soon!
4. Retro fan-shaped trellis for the Red Eden climbing roses cuttings from the old family home.
We are building up the European plants out the back. People walking along the track behind the house will look up from all the indigenous plantings and see technicolour Autumn leaves and in a few years, roses climbing over the fence. I hope the local "Friends" of the park group doesn't blackball us for contrariness/European planting. We have lots of Australian plants too, honest.
5. Lots of sunken brick paths have been lifted and re-laid. Not by me.
6. Lots of Brunswick Green paint has been put on around the place. Ditto.
7.First plectranthus ecklonii in flower. Yeeha! These say Autumn to me, long before the leaves turn. I have about 10 of them, which are only four or five years old - they are over two metres high and are great hiders of fences and neighbours. I broke off two little pieces hanging over a fence when I was out walking one day and the cuttings struck easily.
We are hanging out for rain up here too. So much of Oz has had too much, and we have 2 lousy milimetres. More please.
ReplyDeleteI loved the walk through your garden. Thanks.
Well I've lost count of the number of times we have emptied the rain gauge! Hope some finds its way down to you. cheers Wendy
ReplyDeleteI really like the look of that "plectranthus ecklonii". They sound like just the thing to replace some shrubs on the public side of me front fence, where it's rainfall only water.
ReplyDeleteThe clouds could be altocumulus which are a sign of good weather, or cirrocumulus which are a sign the weather is going to change. I'm not expert enough to say which! I went through a cloud /weather obsession some years ago *cough*
You'll find them growing in "old lady" type gardens - I've not seen them for sale in plant nurseries - have a look around your neighbourhood wander past and nab some. They are really tough, drought resistant and quick growers. Otherwise let me know sometime you're in Melb and I'll do you some cuttings, could drop some at your daughter's place.
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