It's been a grey, overcast, drizzly day today. Yes we have all loved the soft rain that's fallen over the last week, human and animal alike, but it's certainly not exactly what we expect during our wet season.
While it's been absolutely great to hear the soft rain falling on the tin roof, and taking shelter from the gentle raindrops, we're all wondering what's happened to the true wet season. The sun-baked, hardened ground needs driving, pelting monsoonal rain so that all the established plants can get a decent drink.
We did see some heavier falls on Sunday, at the beginning of the week, and there have been a couple of days when very light showery rain fell through the week. However, the total so far for February is only 51.6 mm (2 inches), which is quite significantly lower than the usual rainfall total for the beginning of February.
I've woken to some lovely sunrises this week,
and the plants out in the garden have certainly brightened up a little in appreciation of the showers of rain.
Here's a look at some of the blooms to be found out and about today. The Rain Lilies are popping up.
Zephyranthes verecunda
Zephyranthes primulina
The heavenly perfume of the Murraya paniculata blooms hangs in the air.
The rather tall Murraya specimen that grows opposite the pergola is absolutely covered in flower sprays, and the driveway and garden bed beneath is strewn with the old blooms that have fallen from the shrub.
These stunning white flowers will appear when the rains begin, and fill corners of the place with their heady scent. You know there's some rain around when you smell their perfume.
There's also the faint perfume of Jasmine in the air.
The first of the summertime blooms of my Jasminum officinale or Poet's Jasmine are starting to appear. It seems rather late, given that this is the last summer month, but I welcome their appearance.
My Gingers have finally started rising from their dormancy, again it seems rather later than expected.
Globba capicola, also known as Golden Dragon blooms have appeared at long last.
So have the blooms of Globba winitii, or the Mauve Dancing Ladies.
There are a few other blooms scattered here and there, but nothing is absolutely covered in blooms here at the moment, apart from the tall Murraya.
Hibiscus schizopetalus or the Japanese Lantern Hibiscus
Gloriosa rothschildiana or Gloriosa Lily
Lagerstroemia indica or Crepe Myrtle
Clerodendrum ugandense (apparently now Rotheca), or Blue Butterly Bush.
Trusty old Gerberas
Cleome spinosa 'Senorita Rosalita'
Double white Impatiens walleriana
Pelargoniums
Allamanda cathartica 'Sunee'
Plumeria pudica
I'm joining Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers
Hi Bernie... I think I know where all your rain is !! We have it, here in the uk, and you are welcome to reclaim it ! We have persistent rain which seems to fall most days, huge (by our standards) storms and flooding . Railway lines have been washed away by huge seas in Devon.
ReplyDeleteDespite your lack of rain you have some totally gorgeous flowers which make me green with envy! Your Rain lilies are lovely as is the Gloriosa Lily!
I've seen reports on the news here of the widespread heavy rain and flooding over there. It does seem as if the rain is in the northern hemisphere rather than the southern. There are many areas here in Queensland that are really starting to miss the usual wet season rain now, and we're not looking forward to the long dry season that's coming very soon. There's talk of water restrictions again.
DeleteDear Bernie ~ Once again I sigh with joy looking at your blooms and am inspired to keep working in my gardens. I have at least two of the Murraya paniculata and love the flowers and the scent and the little reddish/orange berries afterwards. I have several things that you have and several more that I don't have.
ReplyDeleteHope you get some good soaking rains soon. We had some here day before yesterday and it was good as we needed it.
Have a nice weekend ~ FlowerLady
We're expecting more rain over the coming weekend, Lorraine, but it still doesn't look like it will be the torrential drenching rain we need. I love the perfume of the Murraya. It's such a pity it's regarded as a weed here. Thankfully it hasn't become a thug at my place, and there's no evidence of it popping up in our bush paddock, so I don't feel so guilty about enjoying the perfume of the flowers.
DeleteWonderful flowers as usual. I'm sorry you still aren't getting decent rains. Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteYes it seems like it's going to be a very dry wet season this year, Gunilla. Not a good thing for the garden.
DeleteI'm sure all of our torrential monsoon rain must have fallen over my place the other day where I found myself frantically digging trenches out the side to help the flood escape into the drainage channels. Seriously though it seems that we are having yet another dry wet season.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your photos Bernie, but the second one was quite brilliant.
Enjoy your weekend and may it be wet.
There's certainly been no torrential monsoonal rain here, Rose. Further north they're getting quite a bit of it, and it sounds like you've had a little taste as well. I think we'll be on water restrictions soon, especially during the coming dry season.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the photos. The second shot shows a mother Agile Wallaby that has made a sleeping corner under the large Cycad at the back of my courtyard garden. She and her joey have made a comfy little patch under those spiky fronds, and seem to be quite at home in there.
What fabulous flowers - it's still raining here in the UK and as Jane says, you're welcome to it.....can't wait for it to stop and some spring flowers to make an appearance.
ReplyDeleteAlison
Oh if only you could send some of it over here, Alison. We really need it because our long, long dry season is fast approaching and the garden needs a really good long drink before then.
DeleteFingers crossed you see some signs of the coming Spring very soon.
Yes we certainly do need the rain. I'm in NSW and struggling to keep my plants alive. I'm not looking forward to getting my water bill! Your garden and flowers are a delight to see. take care, Maryann
ReplyDeleteWe were supposed to get lots of lovely rain this weekend, but here we are, it's 5.15 pm on Saturday and there's been nothing. It seems areas further north are getting lots of heavy rain, but it's not getting down to us. I know exactly what you mean about struggling to keep plants alive, Marion. We've got a very long dry season ahead of us this year, and it's not all that far off now. I think it's going to be a hard year for the garden.
DeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are so lively. The sunrise is spectacular. It's a nice reminder that we too will have flowers a little later on.
Yael from Home Garden Diggers
I admire how you know all the botanical names. We too are still waiting for decent rain.
ReplyDeleteBernie I realized I had told you more than once about the russellia taking root in my garden. It looks as if it is coming up around the base of yours as well. I would be thrilled to have a bush as big as that one is. Here we are lucky to see one and it will be in a pot that must be taken inside for the winter. We usually have some things that come back that are not really supposed to but I fear this year they may be gone. We will just do like everybody else...start again. Glad your cyclone was not anything major but I know you would have loved to have the rain.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see all your lovely flowers, Bernie! Shame we can't send you some of the rains we have been having here, almost continuously, since the middle of December!
ReplyDeleteOur gardens are starting to spring back into life with lots of bulbs flowering earlier than we are accustomed to! I have Daffodils on my balcony that will start to to open during the coming week - a FULL month earlier than we would normally expect them!
A few days ago my wife & I saw a Daffodil flower open in a garden on our way back from doing some shopping in town! This was one of the big ones, not a miniature like 'February Gold'! I was astonished - I can never remember seeing a Daff open at the beginning of February before!