Heat Wave

Well, first it was the shock of being back at work, now it is the heat wave. Trying not to whinge too much, and indeed keeping busy, when energy allows, actually is a good thing, it takes your mind off it.

What's a very unfortunate consequence of the heat is the damage to the garden. Yesterday, the day we actually broke the heat records, I decided to just let some of the plants die. On water restrictions, and with only using recycled water, how can you water a fairly large garden?

I am trying to save certain plants, such as the natives I put in during Autumn, but lots are dead and many are close to it. The 3 large tomatoe bushes, which I have been carefully looking after are on the sacrifice list, what a waste. And many salvias, beautiful purple and bright blue ones, will be dead by today or tomorrow. So much for dry tolerant plants, even they cannot survive the frying. A few of the camelias have browned leaves, but they should make it, the susceptible ones already died off last year. And as a facing the fact of global warminig and temperature change, I have decided also to stop trying to keep the treee ferns alive. That is very sad, as there are about 6 large ones, and I think some of them have been here about 20 years (since the house was built). They will have to be pulled out in autumn/winter. and replaced with maybe some smaller growing ferns or tougher plants. Living in a shady garden is no longer enough if the temperature rises to high. The 2 large daphne bushes are almost dead, but thankfully I saw this coming last year, hence the obsession with planting a range of Correas! They, and Grevilleas, once they get going, love it around here. They can cope with the poor soil and the semi shade.

The front yard is a waste land, but that started in winter when it became obvious I did not have the energy or muscle power to look after both the front and back yards. So, despite the fact that is the part that not many people see, I have been focusing on the back yard. It is where I "hang out", so that is more important to me than appearances.

Maybe I will have to rethink even more this year about what to remove. Noticing what has survived, even without watering has been interesting. A Desert pea from WA looks as if it is business as usual, obviously need to plant some more of those. Also the Cherry Pies (Heliotrope), whilst looking sad, have had no deaths so far, and I have lots of them around.

An opportunity to visit nurseries to get some more natives in Autumn, makes the whole dying garden thing no quite so depressing. Birth, growth, death, all in the cycle that is life. The veggie patch is going to be cut in half. Replaced by, it was going to be more herbs, but now natives. This year I have discovered that keeping lettuces and herbs in pots, so you can put them in the shade, can provide quite enough for the kitchen. (I swore off pots last year ironically enough....the cycle of opinion as well!)

Here's to cooler days, and just a little more rain.....