Christmas 2010

Christmas time again. The last few years in Melbourne, we have been battling harsh droughts and therefore no rain. This Christmas, saw precipitation coming from our skies yet humidity and cloud cover. Boxing day is 19 degrees and we are faced with the realities of a Summer which may be wet and cool. Floods are in the north end of Australia; fire warning in the west and Melbourne looks like its going to have its usual "four-seasons-in one day" season. Our dams are more than half way. Over seas, its unseasonally cold in Europe. Seeing small villages in Ireland without water due to frozen pipes. Heathrow was shut the weeks before Christmas due to icy runways. In America, temperatures are down to -7.

Rain

I am not complaining about the rain. However, is it too much to ask for it to rain from 6pm to 4am? Enough time to get it out of it's system and then gardening folk can get on with their days! The farmers in the north don't want any more either. How awful. Five years of drought followed by a season of flooding! This is worse for the crops and soil than the drought. Hardly seems fair, does it? We work in the rain and it has to be really coming down for us not to work. At the beginning of the day, this seems to work, however by afternoon, we realise we are drowned rats anyway. Can one get any wetter? Might as well work! Everything sticks to you. The drains of the older houses are flooding and our equipment are getting ecstatic with the amount of white smoke they are blowing. I AM NOT COMPLAINING but...its very frustrating...certain things cannot be done in the rain. Ladder work, for example is a very bad idea in the rain. Mulching is another one. I have mulched in the rain and ended up looking like a chocolate covered peanut! Which isn't the look I was going for! The rain we are getting is not misty, its actually soil deepening rain. Which is good, but also means that everything is growing a lot faster. We were at a client's the other day and we had to mow the lawn three times. The entire lawns took three hours to complete! So we have the same allotted time in Spring as any other time and we work three times as hard, because as well as the lawns, there are overgrown hedges, dead-heading, mulching, WEEDING and the list goes on and on. It also been very balmy, which makes working in the rain so much better, because there is no cold factor. Very Queensland weather. However, as Melbourne does it, we're now going lower than 14 degrees in the night again, which is much better. Our dams are not past halfway and they have dropped the restrictions, forgetting about how quickly they can drain. Governments only think three years ahead. Not to the whole picture. It would really be nice if there was a politician out there who would see the big picture. Yes, I want dream land to turn into reality. I think I spoken about this before. Obviously, its something I care deeply about. Rain is water, but it won't last forever. If anything can be shown from the last few years, we know it dries up quickly.

More flowers

Its been a great year for flowers. Spring has sprung and we're getting the best flower crop for years. Funny what a little rain and bit of TLC can do. I just wanted to share these with you. Not much to say. Just open your senses and be mesmerised by everything. Enjoy!

Flowers, flowers, flowers!!!

Spring time means flowers, flowers and more flowers. Wherever you look, there is a wonderful display of flowers and buds. My grapes are in flower, so too are my tomatoes and berries. These flowers shown here are a small array of petals in my garden. We were told that the hellebore would not flower until next season. So we're very lucky! We're not completely aware of everything in the garden beds of our new home. From first glance, I knew there were geraniums and roses, but the poppy was a surprise. We also have iris, lavender and a collection of salvias. I have potted fuchsias and scented geraniums and of course herbs and veges. I have orchids and this hellebore.

The rain has completely drenched our garden at the moment and although we have been told that we will be getting a months rain fall in two days; its nice to think the drought has finally broke. Of course, the rain has brought us nasties with it. Snails have taken over my garden. I was spreading some seed the other day and came across three of the buggers hidden in the raising mixture. All other insects seem to be in full flight this season too. As well as weeds. They seem more prevalent than ever. A colleague commented that they seem more resistant this year. I am beginning to think that weeds are never going to truly disappear and that we as a horticultural society need to accept that. They will not disappear completely and I don't want to put any more poisons into the ground. Its been proven over and over again that the more elaborate the pesticide, there will be other nasties associated with it plus the weed will eventually get resistant to it as well. Perhaps we need to look at the weed and appreciate it for what it is. Of course, as a gardener in rich areas, I do not think they would want to partake in leaving weeds as they are. :) It is a nice thought though.

Missed Winter, now its Spring

I am amazed its Spring. I love spring. Vibrant colours and beautiful aromas. Its all good. My job allows me to appreciate these. Its amazing how quickly Winter seemed to pass us by. Winter in Melbourne this year was cold and wet. It was hard to get out of bed in the mornings, but we did it and I ignored my friends who had indoor jobs complain of the bitter cold. How would they truly know? Yes, it may have been cold and yes, it may have been wet, but it was beautiful also. After the blistering heat the last few years, it was good to see that wet stuff coming from the sky. It is falling in our catchments so our water levels are slowly rising. We are still in no way stable yet. However, if you listened to the politicians, they may dispute this. In their infinite wisdom (election year), the Victorian Government have decided to ease the water restrictions. We are still at only 45% full. Not even half way and they have eased out restrictions. The problem with polies, is that they only see the future in terms of their stint in the job. Anything beyond that is black. I worry, that we will dip again and the restrictions will come on too late. We need to be at least 60% full before easing the restrictions, surely? But I guess, that thinking will not win an election.

So spring has sprung and its a beautiful season. In the fauna world, we can see young animals taking their first steps. And the flora world, we see buds about to bloom. Veggies about to provide us with plentiful edibles. Its a great time of year to be in the garden. Its not just the visuals, although sometimes, that is hard to beat. Its also the smells of the flowers and foliage as well as freshly mown grass and rain smells. Nothing beats that, well perhaps the sea and lucky me, I have some clients near the beach! Its a gloomy day outside but I see my cliveas about to bloom; I see geraniums in flower; I see the grass which was mown only a week ago needing another trim. I hear the birds chirping and my indoor cat eagerly watching them as if she's ever been outside! And I smell the rain which we just had. Winter's gone, but we have a lot if Spring left to talk about!