Thursday, January 7, 2010

Dry season


the crotons and golden crinums seem to be thriving in this dry spell.




The dry season has started with a ferocity that tells me we are in for a severe drought. Last year this time we were experiencing an unusual amount of rain at the start of the dry season. I was over the moon for the extra moisture and my garden thrived. This week the grass has turned brown in many areas and I am forced to water many of my plants. Some plants are more drought tolerant like the crotons and the golden crinums you see in the second photo from the top. The water rates have been raised by a whopping sixty percent so I may just have to let some plants fend for themselves. This month is also the official start of the sugar cane harvest that will continue into the next few months until June or July.

11 comments:

  1. Hello Islandgal. It is beautiful to read about other places which seem so exotic to me, here in South Australia. I have put a link to your blog from mine.
    http://hillsandplainsseedsavers.blogspot.com/
    All the best,
    Kate

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  2. oh, actually I have scheduled it to publish tomorrow, my time, Sat. Jan 9th because I have already dome one post for today!

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  3. Although I do have experience in working with dry conditions, I love how much better my garden looks with rain. I hope your dry season is not too severe and that you get some rain.

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  4. I have been and still having rainy and cloudy days everyday, since a month or so ago. Nothing much to do at my garden since no neet to water my plants. I've been wanting to plant the golden croton too. I like the colours of the leaves. Are you going to post about your sugar cane festival?

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  5. Despite the dry season the second and third photos look lovely! Here the gardens look all right but it's very dusty. Till the rains come in late March/early April, we'll have to put up with this!

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  6. Oh.., you are now caught within dry spell..., but somehow plants are adapting well. Yeah, with gardener's help surely. ~bangchik

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  7. Water rates raised 60%? Yikes! Is there much call for xeriscapic plants there? That might help. I do feel for you!

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  8. No wonder they say that the third world war will be fought over water!
    The northern part of India is becoming drier too; rains are rare and during monsoons we see more clouds than water.
    But there is a charm in the dry landscape too...different and charming.

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  9. Kate ....thank you for stopping by. You do live in an exotic area too shall we swap for a few weeks?



    Noelle....I hate the dry season too and prefer a green lush look. It did rain last night the first real rain for a month.


    Kanak....


    Autumn Belle.....Lucky you to have rain. The sugar cane festival comes at the end of the crop thus called the Crop Over Festival. It begins in July with a crowing a King and Queen of the cane cutters. The man and woman who cuts the most cane will be crowned. It is followed by calypso competitions for the Calypso Monarch. Then there is a parade of costumed revelers dancing on the streets in bands consisting of several hundred people in costumes representing many themes from around the world. I seldom go to see the bands now because they seem quite boring and they all look the same with women in very skimpy outfits including the big fat mamas. There is a King and Queen of the bands competition for the costume designers and that is well attended by the public. This takes place the night before the day of the parade of the bands. I will try to attend this year's and post some photos.


    Kanak.......We will have to wait for the April showers to help us out. We got a night of rain so I am very pleased.

    Bangchik....Some are adapting well with my help LOL.


    Jean.....I have been trying to use plants that are drought tolerant but initially they have to be watered frequently to get established so I can't win.

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  10. Ugh, i sympathize with you Helen--our dry is starting now too. i can't keep up with the watering! buena suerte,
    Liz

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  11. Green thumb.....I am trying to find plants that will look attractive with brown lawns LOL


    Liz.....my water bill for Jan was $400.00 US and am trying not to water too often like once a week.

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