sanctuary
Dear Ciara,
The rains have finally begun to reduce in frequency now that Cyclone Narelle has passed by. Yesterday, I even caught a glimpse of blue sky between the clouds. It wonāt be long until the wet season begins to dissolve into the dry. I am so eager for the dry seasonāhungry for itāas it is when I am at my best. Nothing makes me feel more motivated than bright, warm sunlight.
I have spent some more time working in the front garden. Bit by bit, it is becoming the bird/pollinator sanctuary I have dreamed of. I spent most of Monday there, trimming back the rambutan trees and preparing the soil for planting. I then visited a local nursery and selected a mixture of plants for the birds and the bugs.
For the birds, I planted two grevilleas. These are a sunset-coloured variety (I forget the nameā¦) that can handle having āwet feetā. While my soil drains well in the dry season, the heavy rains of the wet season are sometimes so relentless that drainage stops entirely. I am hoping these grevilleas, alongside the already established Bloomfield penda, will attract more friarbirds and honeyeaters to the garden. Hopefully I can toughen them up during the dry season so that they are prepared for next year's monsoons.
For the bugs, I finally got my hand on some euodia. Euodia, also sometimes misspelled as evodia, is the host plant for the larvae of the Ulysses butterfly. I often see these bright-blue beauties in the garden, and I am ecstatic to finally have my hands on some seedlings. I only planted one in the front garden (as they get quite large), and Iāve saved two more for somewhere out back.
I planted another catās whisker plant too, as I just adore these, and two more flower varieties: tropical gardenia and turnera subulata or white alder:
These can become a bit of a weed; however, I am prepared to keep them in check. The cream flowers of these two plants will contrast nicely with the reds and oranges that dominate the front garden bed.
Lastly, I planted something for me. One of my favourite rainforest plants are those from the medinilla family, these gorgeous ginger-like plants that throw chandeliers of pink flowers. See for yourself:
I bought one for a shady spot in the front garden, as they are known for enjoying minimal sunlight. Iām not sure of the variety, but I would imagine it is medinilla myrisntha as they seem to be the most common up here. It will attract pollinators too, but not the extent of the other species around it.
Note: Neither of these photos are from my garden, they are just designed to give you an idea of what my seedlings will eventually grow into.
The song for today is:
boyfriend ā 2charm
Not my usual genre of music, but this is super fun. I am getting ready for the sun. I didn't mean to rhyme.
Love,
The Gardener