Rain

Now I'm not complaining about the rain. Overall it has been brilliant for the garden and the paddocks and will set farmers up for their winter crops. However, when you've spent the last 10 years buying drought resistant plants and being able to control the amount of water that each plant gets, it is a bit of a shock for some of these plants to suddenly cop 8 inches of rain in a couple of days. I have lost a few to drowning including roses, natives, succulents, psilotis, kurrajong trees and, I fear, a large Geraldton Wax.
This excess moisture has encouraged the insect population to make the most of its short lifespan and breed prolifically producing scads of caterpillars and grasshoppers which have feasted on my favourite shrubs and veges. I try to be as "organic" as possible, but there is a limit to my "greenness"and I find myself bringing out the Confidor as well as the Dipel and trying not to think about all those "good" insects that are going to die too.
I was walking around my garden this morning as usual after a couple of days inside with a head cold. The dahlias are flourishing still - beautiful large, bright red flower heads and tiny yellow pom poms as well as large, bright pink pom poms and a large pink and white cactus-type flower. The Chrysanthemums are really looking good now too - tiny pink and yellow buttons, large, shaggy lime green blooms, white, pale pink, burnt orange and more about to burst into bud. Hopefully, Mothers' Day will bring more plants to be dug in.
One of my favourite plants, a Heliotrope, is in flower and the smell is delightful - a cross between vanilla and cherries - hence the common name "Cherry Pie". It's one I have to watch in winter so the frosts don't kill it. Speaking of frosts, they will be here soon. It was down to 6 degrees this morning. Luckily I have already sprayed my frost tender babies with "Envy", a polymer-type product which has got many of my young plants through below zero temps. Time for some more photos, perhaps? Several dahlias and my purple heliotrope.