Amazingly, we have had about 6 inches of rain spread over the past 5 or 6 days - heavenly! There were a few big downpours but lots of gentle drippy rain too, soaking right into the soil - and the rocks- and kick starting lots of Autumn growth. On the one 'dry' day between the rain, I planted out a hedge of 28 double white Oleanders with 10 white Plumbago as well - and each one has a weed/mulch mat, its very own dripper and most have tree guards to protect them a bit from the cold wind. Hopefully, within a couple of years they will help promote a sheltered micro climate for our large, sloping very hot dry front garden.
There are some established trees in there already - a huge sugar gum right at the front on the street, a smaller Mallet gum, a vry old rice bush, loads of orange flowering Cape Honeysuckle that I plan to trim right up to a sort of canopy for the moment, a few sapling ash trees and some Prunus plums. I am keen to try Jackie French's idea of planting in 'groves'. I would love to include a Magnolia or two, a couple of crab apples, and a few more Japanese Maples. I have grown loads of cuttings of Hydrangea, Ajuga and ferns for the shady corners, and my spring flowering bulbs are waiting to be planted out in the large sunny expanses... Now all I need is a bit of time, the bags of old horse manure I have been saving up, and I will be as happy as a pig in muck - literally I reckon.
