September 2000: Spring has almost sprung. In Australia the first of September is regarded as the first day of Spring. At Yallaroo on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales the first day of spring started with a beautiful sunny morning. By early afternoon the weather had changed for the worst with high winds and rain. Rain is always welcome but gale force winds are most unwelcome. Fortunately the wind dropped overnight but the rain continued. Town water is not connected to Yallaroo and we rely on rainwater for drinking, bathing, washing and toilet flushing. The rainwater collected from our tank is stored in a 50,000 litre (11,000gallon) concrete tank. Pardon the mix of measurements: For every millimetre of rain we collect 50 gallons of water. As our children have flown the coop our family has been reduced to two so our tank supply is more than sufficient for our requirements. The garden is maintained by bore water and grey water which is collected from the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. Our toilets feed into a septic system.
After that lengthy preamble we will move into the garden and examine some spring flowering native plants. Many Acacias or Wattles are lighting up the garden with golden flowers. Acacia boormanii, Snowy River Wattle, A. rubida, Red-stemmed Wattle, A. triptera and A. vestita, Weeping Boree, are some of our floral mega-stars.
Hakea costata is visible from the lounge room window. This is one of the smallest Hakeas reaching a height of one metre with a spread about the same. Prickly foliage, masses of cream flowers and small woody fruits are the hallmarks of this Western Australian shrub. Seeds were collected during a botanical collecting trip to the West.
Grevillea iascapula is also in flower with cream and pink blooms as is the cream flowered form of G. rosmarinifolia.
Planting has progressed throughout winter with our garden extending in all directions with our home as the centre of all this horticultural activity. Our planting density is rather high (about 3 plants/m2). This high density is possible because the majority of plants are propagated on site.
Native birds will soon be nesting at Yallaroo. There is a great deal of “cavorting in the canopy” going on at present.
More horticultural and environmental news from Yallaroo next month.