You guessed it – after a couple of hot days, the showers came back with the added bonus of summer storms. Still, life went on. Monday 31 JanuaryMy Monday mornings always start by reading Grace Alexander’s email newsletter. Grace is a gardener in the UK and her thoughts are always valuable to me, though the […]
The week the sun came out
The clouds cleared and the sun gave us warmth this week. The showers didn’t completely disappear, of course, but there was enough sunshine to encourage dahlia blooms to open for the first time this season. I was even able to cut dahlias for indoors. It was a week to be happy in the garden. Monday […]
Journalling my week
I thought I’d add a new type of post to these pages, to record the small things and the passing of days. You may find it interesting, or you may not but please leave a comment either way. I’d love your feedback. Monday 17 January My birthday was celebrated by the sun emerging after a […]
Out of sorts
Growth is rampant in my garden, due to the constant on-and-off showers we have had for the past several months. I’m over it. The earth is too wet to garden and never has an opportunity to dry out. I suspect several of my dahlia tubers have rotted in the ground, even some of the ones […]
Roses – yes or no?
Let’s be honest – we only grow roses because of their flowers. For most of the year, many of the plants are ugly stems that grab and scratch when we go too close. The flowers don’t make up for that, in my opinion. The previous owner of my garden planted many roses here. Some I’m […]
In my garden column: December 2021
We’ve had so much rain that my garden is sodden, with pools of water along the edges of beds in the back garden. It seems like every day there is some in our rain gauge. If only it would fall evenly throughout the year! The next few days should bring some sunshine. Oh happy days. […]
In my garden column: November 2021
Look, it’s raining – no, it’s not – yes, it is. Such is the nature of the weather today. Showers come and go and I swear I can see plants growing. I was able to weed part of my flower bed this morning in between showers. My lifetime scourge – kikuyu grass runners – have […]
In between showers
Our Bureau of Meterology’s (BOM) prediction for spring was right. Predicting rainfall above median, we’ve had a period of sunny or cloudy days interspersed with showers and several storms. The BOM says this will continue through to January. As I write, it feels as if something’s about to happen. A wind change, more showers or […]
I miss jacarandas
I was born in Sydney and, until two years ago, lived my whole life there. I grew up with a sense of wonder for the jacarandas that are throughout the city. When I studied at Sydney University I, like thousands of students before me, recognised the beauty of the jacaranda in the main quadrangle. Sadly […]
Two years ago today
We moved here two years ago today. It was a beautiful Southern Highlands spring day – sunny with a light breeze – much like it is today. The day started early as we packed our cars, mostly with bedding and plants, and parked them in the street to keep the driveway clear for the removalists. […]