As it turns out the break in the rain only lasted till early afternoon, but at least the sun came out on a Saturday morning, so it was agreed by all that we were all enjoying some quality time with the Sun God.
Sydneysiders will know what I'm talking about. Gosh it's been wet lately! While I can't quite come at trainspotting as a hobby, I have been a sucker for rain gauges for some years now. According to my records, since May 18, when the heavens opened and haven't stopped, we've copped 262.5mm of rain, or 10.3 inches in the old money. So, in just 17 days we've received a bit more than one-fifth of our total annual average rainfall. Can't complain, especially after these years of drought.
Anyway, with the break in the rain the sun came out and I quickly realised that some of my plants are simply loving it! Here's a quick lap of the highs and lows of life here in Soggy Bottoms.
Orchids aplenty. Dozens of spikes are up, out and flowering. What a show!
The brodiaeas (spring bulbs with blue flowers) are all up in unison.
Lettuce seeds have turned into lettuce seedlings.
The thyme is outrageously happy, fragrant and healthy. 
At the other end of the scale, the Scadoxus has definitely died down for the winter. It should be back in bloom in spring, if last year's effort is repeated.
And finally, even the doormat in front of Pam's studio at the bottom of the garden is sprouting plants! She's delighted, and not at all deterred by my comment that they're probably just weeds. "They might not be" she said with motherly optimism. We'll see. I'm not allowed to touch them.As I mentioned at the start of this little blog, the sunshine lasted till early afternoon. It's sprinkling again, more rain is forecast, and this wet patch definitely isn't over yet. It's good fun for the rain gauge people, though. We email each other with readings! It's bearable excitement, but I think the dry, drought-hit soil is very happy - it's still saying 'more drinks please'. Chin chin!
Wonderful post. Especially after you scared me with your last post about motorbike. Today I opened your page half expecting more about your gadget, guess the rain God is on gardeners' side.
ReplyDeleteEven if you stop gardening, please don't stop your posts
The Lithops is a wonder! Hope to see the photo of the daisy when it finally opens.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for your rain! Our Oregon spring has been exceptionally wet and cold too. Seeds rotting in the ground, roses covered in blackspot. But, we are green. Do you grow your orchids outside? I've never been brave enough to try them even though all of the stores sell them
ReplyDeleteSue, yes, the orchids thrive outside. When I bought the house 20 years ago the previous owner, Angela, had orchids growing in the same spot. By coincidence, someone gave me an orchid plant as a house-warming gift soon after we arrived here, and so I put it where Angela had hers growing. The plant has grown and multiplied many times over since then. Our climate is mild here, with the midwinter maximums around 18°C (65°F), with no overnight frosts at all. The orchids are in mostly brightly lit shade, but they get some direct sunshine for a couple of hours every day.
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie. I wanted to thank you for your wonderful blog. I discovered it about a week ago and have been exploring it ever since. I am just starting up my own small mainly indigenous garden in Melbourne and your amateur approach and advice is really helpful in giving me a clear idea of what the whole gardening experience is like (not just tolerates frost, plant this deep, feed with this. etc)I just bought a Banksia marginata, Grevillea rosmarinifolia, Correa reflexa and a Callistemon to give them some growing time before the garden beds are ready and am keen to go!
ReplyDeleteCheers.
Thank you Spiro for your kind comments. Being useful to others has always been part of my motivation for doing this blog (along with just doing it for fun), so it's a real thrill to read your comments. Good luck with the natives! I love them.
ReplyDeleteWhat magic rain does! They kindle something deep in their green blood, I guess...
ReplyDelete