Rain, Rain, Go Away?

Our current weather patterns of persistent drizzly rain on the back of months and months of constant sunshine remind me of my grandfather. Apparently he was renown for saying "Rain always follows a drought". I am not sure why he said this, besides stating the obvious. But he did have some funny sayings and expressions and I feel like a malcontent complaining about the rain!

I've heard that wet weather was invented so gardeners have time to catch up on housework and other mundane chores and I've certainly spent my time of late this way. After many years in the one house we've accumulated a huge amount of clutter and surplus possessions that I have been sorting, culling and finding new homes for.

It has been weeks since I've had to water the garden and this is a welcome break after so many hours spent handwatering over summer in order to keep my plants alive. The soil in the gardens is now quite soft and easy to turn and we've taken advantage of those few fine days here and there to do some more work on reclaiming our new rose garden, although the anarchist weeds are still attempting a garden coup.

Just over a week ago we changed our clocks at the end of daylight saving and this, and the constant cloud cover, has made our days seem so much shorter already. The temperatures have been much lower, rarely making it past the mid twenties. Often we wake to sunshine, only to have it fall away to developing rain an hour or so after.

Taking advantage of a rare patch of clearish sky, I grabbed my camera and headed out see what was new in the garden.

The white salvia seems to be a bee magnet

The garden birds are stealing the fibres from my hanging baskets, strand by strand. I guess they consider this to be an ideal nest construction material.

On reflection, I must vote the Angelonias, Angelonia angustifolia, as the unsung garden heros this year. These cute little perennials, somewhat resembling snap dragons and growing approximately 20cm high in neat clumps 30-50 cm wide, have really impressed me. They are drought resistant and even cope with difficult soil and seem to have been flowering constantly since the spring. Last year I bought a purple and a white, this year I added a pink one to my collection. The white appears to be a little less robust and slower growing than the other two colours but having said this, mine is still alive and doing well. I've put a couple of pieces broken off by the wind into soil and they've quickly taken root and grown into viable plants. Best of all they are pet safe and I know I can grow them anywhere in my garden without putting my felines at risk should they choose to graze.

Angelonia Archangel Purple

Angelonia Angel Basket Pink

Angelonia Archangel White

The resilient roses have dumped their black-spot afflicted leaves and, although they look a little bare at the moment, are busily growing some replacements and new flower buds are beginning. Today I've deadheaded them and given them the last lot of rose food for this flowering season.

Blueberry Hill has almost totally obscured the bird bath.

Delicious has a massive bouquet of buds just beginning to burst open

Delicious

Bonica's sprawled growth is topped by luxurious blooms

Bonica, showing some remnant blackspot affected foliage

Brilliant Pink Iceberg

Brilliant Pink Iceberg

Brilliant Pink Iceberg

Meanwhile the fuchsias seem to be loving both the weather and their new spot at the front of the cubby.

One of my "Rescue" Fuchsias

This Rescue Fuchsia is a true beauty, with its long and slender petals

Brian C Morrison

Brian C Morrison

Heidi Ann

Pink Ruffles

In the front garden the onion weed is doing particularly well and must once again remove the flower heads or have even more of them next season!

The Hiryu camellia sasanqua hedge has burst into flower and is looking amazing, despite its out-of-season pruning in mid January.

The Camellia Sasanqua Hiryu Hedge

Hiryu

The Endless Summer Hydrangeas, true to their name have begun their autumnal flowering while the traditional varieties have begun to enter their dormant phase. Blushing Bride and Original both have two or three flowers in the making and Twist N Shout is following closely behind them. The foliage on these plants is now becoming larger as the soft stems begin to harden up and they are able to support more weight.

Hydrangea Endless Summer - Original

Hydrangea Endless Summer - Blushing Bride

Blushing Bride's summer flowers have begun to turn a tawny red

The apple tree has some flowers, although this seems a little out of season to me.

Apple Blossom

The Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos Bush Pearl is also in flower, I love the little yellow faces amongst the pink. This variety is part of the Bush Gems range and quite hardy (I don't have a very good track record with Kangaroo Paws).

Kangaroo Paw

And the Begonias are also looking good.

The White Banksia Roses have gone crazy and the obelisk is almost covered. I can't wait to see them in full bloom next spring.

Rosa Banksia Alba

My old favourite, Cecile Brunner is also doing better following a very hard prune last winter. Although I don't think she gets anywhere near as much sunlight as she'd like, her overall shape and flowering is much improved.  I adore her tiny fairy like blooms seeming to float on slender graceful stems and delicate fragrance. As a child, there was one growing beside the footpath at the front of an old abandoned house on my way home from school. I would often pick a flower or two to give to my mother who has a special affection for this rose as it was what she carried in her wedding bouquet.

Cecile Brunner Rose with Hydrangea Blushing Bride

Cecile Brunner