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Spring is in the air

Most list members are no doubt raking up dead leaves and generally tidying up the garden ready for the winter. Here at the bottom of the world we are getting the usual variable spring weather, but so far (cross fingers) no late frosts. Judging by the state of my Paulownia the winter must have been longer and/or colder than the last few years, as it is only just starting to come into leaf now. This is no bad thing as most years the first set of leaves are just getting towards being fully opened when a late frost browns off the lot of them. Then the tree has to shed the dead leaves and grow another set and it looks such a mess while it is doing that.

Anyway, the early October heavy rain and flooding already seems a thing of the distant past, after the last week with virtually no rain and several warm days. 23ºC today is the highest for many months and the grass is growing very fast indeed. As with every year I rejoice in the fact that the garden has no snails and virtually no slugs, so there are no holes in the Hosta leaves. This spring several of our Sophora microphylla trees (New Zealand's national flower, the Kowhai) have flowered for the first time. These were grown from seed gathered shortly before we moved from our previous house seven years ago. Next year we can expect a mass display of the buttercup yellow flowers from the larger trees, which will in turn bring the native Tuis into the garden early in the season to drink the nectar.

Unfortunately the experiment with a Clivia does not seem to have worked, as the plant looks as though it may not survive. Still, I am hoping for the best. A number of other South African plants do survive quite well in our conditions, in spite of the frosts, including Agapanthus, Crinum and Zantedeschia, especially if they are in slightly more sheltered spots.

Over the last 12 months the garden has grown again, this time by about a half acre of cultivated land. Of the original 21/2 acres that we bought there is only a little over 1/2 acre now that is still overgrown
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