Week 3 October 2000: LET JOY BE UNRESTRAINED!!! On our return from Canberra we found that Yallaroo had been drenched with over 60 millimetres of rain. Before our trip there had been no decent rain for many months. Our drinking water tank was down a fair way and some of our plants were suffering. All that has changed. Our tank has nearly 10,000 gallons and all the plants are back to their sprightly best. This week we have had some follow-up falls so now everything in the garden is lovely.
The Prostantheras (Mint Bushes) tend to wilt during extended dry periods but soon bounce back after rain. We now have a large collection of these colourful and aromatic plants in the Yallaroo gardens. Most species flower in spring with a few varieties blooming in early summer. P. Poorinda Ballerina is now a mass of white flowers tinged with lilac. This is one of the few hybrid Prostantheras. One parent is thought to be Prostanthera lasianthos. You will hear about P. lasianthos later in the year. “Ballerina” is reputed to reach a height of 2 metres. We keep ours pruned to about one metre. The flowers are so prolific that no foliage is visible. Most Mint Bushes have aromatic foliage in common with their cousins, the culinary mints. The foliage, of many Prostantheras, has a unique perfume. When your nose is in gear it is possible to identify Mint Bushes by their aroma.
Acacia subulata is one of our favourite wattles as it flowers for most of the year except spring. During spring A. subulata has a well-earned rest and allows the other wattles take over. Upright growth habit, light green foliage and bright yellow flowers are characteristics of this hardy native.
The Callistemons or Bottlebrushes are beginning to bloom. Two species are now in full flower: C. pungens is a local species with mauve flowers whilst C. pityoides, the Alpine Bottlebrush, has small cream-yellow brushes. In time most of our Callistemons will be described in the Plants section of our Site.
Frogs are becoming active now the warm weather has arrived and a large frothy mass of spawn has appeared in one of our ponds.