Summer Surprises (in the garden)

[Where the lawn used to be!]

 

Oh! It has been so HOT!

 

We've just come out of a heatwave that lasted over a week and saw temperatures nearing the 50 degrees Celsius mark (that's 122 degrees Fahrenheit) just about every day. We spent the entire week inside, in the dark, with the air conditioning on. The temperature wouldn't fall below 35*C at night, so to stay cool and to limit our electricity use, we camped in the living room, ran the air con on low at a very comfortable 24*C, and shut out the rest of the house.

 

That's another good thing about these old stone buildings: They're not open-plan, as is so popular with modern design, so there aren't large, open spaces that require a lot of energy use to keep cool.

 

 

The garden has suffered a little, as is to be expected. I only water the lawn once a week, just to keep it alive (but not thriving). However, the rest of the garden has not suffered as much as it has in previous years thanks to some well-timed pruning and a heap of Lucerne hay as mulch.

 

In early December I cut back the hardy Hardenbergia to the point where it was nothing more than a twiggy vine. It is now bursting with new growth! It certainly doesn't seem to mind all the sunshine we are having, that's for sure.

 

There are other small surprises in the garden too, including bulbs in flower, sweet alyssum, and button daisies peeking through the mulch. The mulch has been a miracle worker: I only water every few days, and yet the ground stays moist. I have used other kinds of mulch in the past (pine bark, and pea-straw), but Lucerne hay is proving to be the most effective. I would recommend it to any gardener, especially those living in dry, hot climates.

 

It is always nice to find plants thriving and in bloom, but even more so on a day that is 50*C.

 

Imbolc

 

In Australia, the 2 August is Imbolc.

 

Imbolc falls midway between Yule (winter solstice) and Ostara (spring equinox), and marks the beginning of spring. 

 

Despite a few grey clouds passing overhead around mid-morning, today was mostly uninterrupted sunshine, and if it wasn't for a chilly southerly breeze blowing in over the Ranges, it would probably have felt very much like spring indeed.

 

I even started some spring cleaning.

 

This evening it rains again, and the rain is expected to continue in a very winter-like fashion for the remainder of the weekend. However, if there is one place that truly reveals the changing of the seasons it is the garden, and there are many early signs of spring in ours.

 

Although, I'm not entirely sure I'm ready for winter to be over just yet...

 

[Seed pod on the native hibiscus]

[New growth on the geraniums]

[Hardenbergia violacea - aka native wisteria]

[The first buds on the lemon tree]

[Delicate, tissue-like Rosemary blooms]

Heatwave Survival: Days 2 - 6

[Day 5: Yesterday's temperature peaked at 45*C - in the shade.]

[Day 3: Geranium with its leaves starting to curl in on themselves. It has since dropped its blooms and is starting to shed its leaves to conserve energy. I wish I had leaves to shed!]

 

 

I've lived my entire life in South Australia, the driest state on the driest continent on earth. I've experienced a few hot summers in my (almost) 32 years and some absolutely scorching days. I remember in 2011 the temperature reaching 47*C the day before Australia Day (25 Jan) and I had to walk the mail to the post office for work. Stepping outside from an air conditioned office was like climbing into an oven: The air was so hot it burnt the insides of my nose and when I breathed in it would catch in my throat and set my eyes to water. The glare off the pavement was blinding and I got sunburnt on the 150m or so journey to the post office and back.

 

I can also recall the entire family spending a summer camped out in the kitchen, mattresses and sheets moved from the bedrooms and sprawled across the floor when I was about 12 years old. It would have been one of our first Spencer Gulf Summers. I remember the house in permanent darkness, all the blinds and curtains pulled closed in an attempt to keep the heat outside from seeping through the windows.

 

However, the most ridiculous of summer days that I have had the unfortunate luck to experience would have been when I was no more than 9 years old: We were on my grandparents farm that day and the temperature peaked at a whopping 52*C - in the shade. I remember a congregation of wild birds under the back verandah, their little mouths set apart as they searched out water and tried to stay cool. There are certain things the brain never forgets, like the brightness of the sun or the heat on your skin. I've no idea how we managed to stay cool that day.

 

Today is day six of a relentless, seemingly neverending heatwave. Yesterday saw temperatures soar right across the southern parts of the country and whilst many of those regions have since been blessed with a cool change, it is not strong enough to penetrate inland and so here in the Ranges the temperature is already hovering around the 40*C mark. We've not seen a day below 39 degrees in the last six.

 

The BoM is predicting that the awful heat will continue and is looking to break some long-standing records. So for yet another week (at least!) we will continue to be shut indoors with the blinds drawn and the air conditioning permanently running. There's an abundance of ice tea and fresh water in the fridge along with all the heatwave necessities for sustenance: Custard, jelly, stewed fruit, fresh salads and hard boiled eggs.

 

How's the weather at your place?