My Garden in Flower - Summer 2008-2009

Just wanted to keep a record of my garden in flower through the seasons - this is my garden flowering through Summer (December to February):

Acalypha in flower

Ardisia elliptica shrub

Ardisia elliptica flowers

Allamanda cathartica

Barleria

Begonia

Bougainvillea

Cassia Fistula

Citharexylum Spinosum

Clitoria Ternatea

Coleus flower spike

Combretum Constrictum – New Guinea Bottlebrush

Coral Ardisia

Croton flower spike

Cuphea Mexicana

Delonix Regia flowers

Dianthea Nodosa

Duranta Repens

Dwarf Mussaenda

Galphimia Glauca

Gazania

Gerbera

Gum in flower

Hibiscus rosa sinensis.

Hibiscus Schizopetalus

Ixoras



Jacaranda Mimosifolia

Jasminum Officinale

Kaemferia Elegans

Lagerstroemia Speciosa

Our native Lobelia

Mandevilla

Malvaviscus Arboreus var. mexicanus

Mussaenda Philippica ‘Aurore’

Mussaenda Philippica ‘Bangkok Rose’

Nematanthus Glabra

Pelargonium

Pentas

Petunia

Planchonia careya

Plumeria Obtusa ‘Hawaiin Sunset’

Plumeria Obtusa ‘Singapore White’

Portulaca

Russelia Juncea

Tabebuia Heterophylla

Torenias

Our native violet – Viola Hederacea

Neomarica Longifolia

Zephyranthes Grandiflora


For the record:
My region’s climate is unique amongst other coastal locations along the North Queensland coast. Unlike most of tropical Queensland, my region is appropriately referred to as the Dry Tropics because of its relatively low rainfall compared with other areas. The climate is warm and sub-humid, with a hot wet summer period of variable duration and intensity, and a warm dry winter season.

The summer months here are very hot and very humid with “build-up” thunderstorms starting in late October or November. Bursts of monsoon rains from late December through until early April deliver our highest rainfalls, and this is also the season that Tropical Cyclones can threaten the region. Previous 'wet' seasons produced very low rainfall averages - we had a series of drought years as well. So far this year we’ve received 1690mm – a record.

December, which is the warmest month of the year, records a daily maximum average temperature of 31.4 o C and daily minimum temperatures averaging 25.0 o C. Hot, muggy and uncomfortable conditions are common during the summer. Humidity is frequently between 60% and 75% during this time. It is thought that because of the humidity a 32°C day in Townsville will often feel like a 37°C day in a drier climate. Keeping the garden going through summer is hard work – with monsoonal rainfall, cyclonic winds, scorching summer heat, high levels of humidity and very bright sunshine.