I have not been sharing many garden updates because a more typical #Melbourne summer has arrived and we are battling weeks of no rain and some days over 35 degrees (nowhere near as bad as #Perth though).
I have been very busy with family and community projects but fortunately my husband has stepped in to water plants. Even so, as you can see in this photo of our #StreetGarden, the plants have shrunk and are really holding on quite grimly.
This is a photo of the other half of our #StreetGarden - again with shrunken plants battling to stay alive through the dry weather #Melbourne has been having and a number of 35+ degree days.
During our mild and wet December and January I was starting to think I had been ridiculous with my rule of no planting during summer until the equinox arrives 20th March. But now we have had weeks with barely any rain and so my rule still holds. I am thinking that it is easier to garden through winter than summer here.
Plant-choice is crucial for street gardens where you cannot guarantee ongoing care. The council's choice of the drought-tolerant gray-leaf gazania is wise. Our group chose succulents and the hardy 'Big red' (sorry I don't know the proper name) geranium plus some salvias. The nasturtiums we planted have died down but there are lots of seeds in the garden ready to germinate when the time is right.
But the garden is still working beautifully to deter people dumping big pieces of rubbish there like before. I can cope with dealing with the little bit of rubbish that has floated on the wind (pictured).
This is a photo of the same #StreetGarden last Spring. Compare that to the previous photo and you can see how even the drought-tolerant gazanias have shrunk.
We have another week coming with no rain and a variety of temperatures from quite cool today (expecting 21 degrees) to 37 degrees predicted next Saturday.
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