Brisbane‘s subtropical winter comes to a happy, floriferous end in mid-August. Today there’s around a hundred different plants flowering, two weeks before Australia’s official first day of spring.

Perhaps it’s Global Warming, or perhaps it’s just been a milder than usual winter, but several tropical plants have survived, not died, and some have flowered right throughout coldest season.

I’m so glad I renewed all the mulches about ten days ago, as our comfortable, productive winter weather will end abruptly next month. Our subtropical spring is a testing time: September ushers in strong winds, clear skies, low humidity and rapidly rising temperatures.

September is the driest month in eastern Australia, and mulching isn’t just about its cosmetic effect, it’s fundamental to retaining as much moisture as possible in your soil. Achieve that and you’ll squeeze out the longest spring display from your flowers. Especially in an ornamental garden like mine…plants get watered six times after planting, and then they’re on their own.

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Jerry Coleby-Williams

18th August 2012