Saturday, January 24, 2009

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ 14 In Memory of my Garden

Please click on photos to enlarge for best effect.



This year there is no garden, no vegetables, no
flowers.... the drought has taken all....six years is
too much for any garden to take. We watered them
last summer with the last water we had, only to lose
so much to the concentrating salt content.

Neither our autumn, winter nor spring rains came.
We have just enough household rainwater to get by
on, and a mineral rich bore for the cattle.



Fuchsia 'George Risden' which survived until the
end of last summer.



Verbena, which normally lasts from two to
four years.



Penstemon, a strong and vibrant semi-perennial
and reasonably drought tolerant also succumbed.

My Roses, shrubs and trees are dead or on the verge.
Our predicted temperatures for this week are 41C +
or 102F + coupled with burning North winds.

If I sound a little despondent, it is because I am,
although on the bright side, I have 5 of my 150 Rose
bushes surviving on laundry water.

With thaks to Luiz Santilli Jr. for creating this meme
as well as Denise Castro and Laerte Pupo for making
it possible for all of us to participate.

Click on the Logo to see wonderful flowers around the world.

64 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry to hear that your drought has lasted so long. I now how hard it is to lose flowers and plants.

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  2. Arija, this is so terrible to lose practically your whole garden to the draught. I know how devastating this is. I have experienced draughts in Northern NSW, not as bad as yours but it also lasted many years and lost many plants and trees, the cattle had just enough grass to survive, we had to supplement their food.
    Your garden looks so splendid as it was. I feel sorry that you have to go through this; and you still see a bright sight, 5 Roses survive, from 150, you deserve a medal.

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  3. This is sad to hear that your drought is so severe and is wiping the earth clean of the vegetation. I wish you relief soon Arija. Your garden was beautiful. I am happy that you could still share it with us through your photos and words.

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  4. How terribly sad. I am so sorry that you are experiencing such a sustained drought, I do hope that if the climate is truly changing that you discover a new passion - maybe for succulents and cacti? (A passion of mine!) The only time I have ever really experienced drought was when I lived in Africa and then peoples lives were on the line because they were so dependant on their crops. Thankfully it was never as long term as the one you are enduring.

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  5. How sad about your garden. We too are suffering from a drought, but today we did get a little rain. I don't think things here are as bad as they are where you are. Thanks for commenting on my SWF post. Yours is lovely too as are your flower shots. Hi from San Ramon.

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  6. I'm so sorry about the terrible heat and lack of water there in Australia. May it rain and rain and rain soon! I'm sorry you lost so many of your beautiful flowers. Your photos are gorgeous!

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  7. Arija,that sounds like it would be depressing.Your flowers from previous years are beautiful and hopefully the rains will come again and you can have lovely gardens once again.
    Blessings,Ruth

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  8. I can not even imagine the agony of this happening. I pray rain comes your way very soon.

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  9. Here's hoping you get some rain soon. Wish I could share some of ours!

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  10. Dear Friends,
    thank you all for your concern and good wishes. All good wishes have power to instigate change.
    Until last summer it was tolerable since we still had some dam water, unfortunately as that became more saline it did more damage than good. Now the main problem is that the soil has dried out to a great depth and the ground water has not been replenished during the last 6 years.
    Thank you again for yur kind thoughts.

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  11. You poor thing Arija, how utterly awful. I would find it devastating to lose my garden. My sister lives in Bungendore, outside Canberra and they had a bad drought for several years. I do hope you get some rain soon. I know, I'll sing....

    Ignore the following if you wish. I couldn't work out how to 'tag' so am putting it here.

    25 Things Meme from LeatherdykeUK
    Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

    To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.

    And now from me... BT

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  12. That is so sad to read. Is there any chance that they are surviving in their roots but just not able to put forth blooms? I hope that you get rain soon, and that it is a slow gentle soaking rain ....

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  13. These flowers are beautiful and I'm sad about the lack of water. Maybe it's time to think cactus. Good use of gray water to maintain a few roses.

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  14. So sad to hear about your drought! Your flower photos are so lovely. I hope you can find a way to do some gardening, either with desert plants or by getting some rain. Must be hard if you love gardening so.

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  15. Hi Arija ~ Thanks for stopping by Brushstrokes.

    Your flowers are amazing.... I am a lover of flowers and always have them in my home. If fresh are not available....silk will do.

    I will come back soon!

    Wanda

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  16. I got so carried away commenting, I sorry I didn't add my sadness for the loss of your beautiful flowers...

    You will always have those lovely pictures.

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  17. Oh, Arija, I'm so sorry that your drought has lasted so long. And to lose all your garden is so sad. Your photos are so beautiful! Thank you for sharing your lovely garden with us while you still could.

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  18. This is achingly heartbreaking, Arija!!!
    I don't know what to say... I am gasping at this reality...
    How can you survive there.. do you have the option of moving? is it possible.. I know your love of your surroundings is so strong and you are not one to ever give up...

    What do you see happening ? This is very scary!!!

    I wish for rain for you and your country...

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  19. Arija,
    I can't imagine not having a garden around me whether it be my own or Mother Nature's. Your post is so poignant. Thank you for sharing.
    Smiles

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  20. These are wonderful photos and I hope someday you have a beautiful garden again. How awful about your drought for so long! I will begin to pray about this.

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  21. That was one seriously red post! Hope they survive.

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  22. Oh..I know how important and how much love you put into your garden. It made me cry, but my heart was warmed by all the wonderful comments that were left for you dear Arija..

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  23. Oh I'm speechless. Just look at your lovely photos to remind that you've made them grow beautifully although their beauty didn't last long. Anyway, the beauty of flowers are not for long but just keep on coming back in due time.

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  24. If only I could send you some rain clouds from Scotland. Your surviving roses must be a small consolation, but well done managing to keep them alive.

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  25. Es ist so schade, das das Wasser auf unsere Erde so unterschiedlich verteilt ist. Die klimatischen Veränderunge bringen den Verlust von vielen Kulturpflanzen und natürlichen Ressourcen.
    In Californien ist der erwartete Regen eingetroffen, so werde ich bei meinem Besuch im April wohl ein grünes Land vorfinden.
    Liebe Grüsse
    Hartmut

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  26. Hopefully Mother Nature will be kind to you and finally give you the rain you need. Your photos are beautiful, at least you have them to remember the good times:)

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  27. Arija,
    Thank you for your comments on my blog. I think you are yourself an artist 'cause your photos are wonderful.
    I am sorry to hear that you lost your garden because the water is missing. Here in France, it is the contrary : we have had a storm 3 times in a week with a lot of rain and before that it was very cold (siberian weather) indeed !
    Now the garden is saturated with water.
    The weather becomes fool...

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  28. Oh dear sorry about the drought! I can understand how that feels! Hope things get better soon and your garden becomes as colorful as it was. At least the Roses are surviving to keep your cheerful! I don't know what to say - at loss of words!

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  29. How very very sad and devastating .. your photos are beautiful memories. Cactii and aloes can also be rewarding. Not the same but worth a try.

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  30. I feel so bad for you!! All your beautiful plants. Hopefully you will soon get much needed rain and your garden can be replanted. We had been through a drought but not as bad as yours.

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  31. I just mentioned your predicament on my blog Occasional Scotland, and put a link to this post - hope that's okay.

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  32. Dear Arija, I'm so sad to hear about the draught in your region. So sorry that you have to go through this. It's hard to imagine to lose so many roses - I can't. I am happy that you make 5 of your roses survive.
    BTW: Thank you very much for your great comment, I'm blushing, but I'm also very proud and happy and I appreciate your comment so very much!
    Thank you so very much :)
    Wish you some rain! Soon!

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  33. You do have much beauty in your garden and know how to display it. A pity the heat is so destructive.

    PS Thank you for the comment. I have had to comments going for Azalea/Rhododendron. I love Rhododendrons, but I have never seen one so early.

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  34. Your drought is impossible.....That would be hard for me to handle. Your photos of the flowers are beautiful.

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  35. Beautiful flowers in your garden.

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  36. Hello Arija,
    Beautiful reds !
    I like fuchsias a lot - appartely there are over 200 different I was told by a friend in Birmingham who had 18 in her kitchen !

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  37. I'm so sad because of you have not got water there, your garde is such beuty one! I really hope it chance soon! Beautiful flowers in your pics, those penstemons I want to my potgarden:)

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  38. Arija, I am in the same position as you except I live in the city and can water twice a week but I don't - only water plants in pots. My garden has been devasted except for some Salvias and some roses. We know that rains will not come soon as we are in high summer but hopefully we will get some rains from May. The last couple of years I planted Australian native grasses they grow well and don't need lots of water but there are no beautiful flowers.

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  39. I am so sorry that you should lose your beautiful garden and that you haven't got any rain for such a long time. Your photos are so beautiful. I like those colours very much.

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  40. I'm so sorry to hear about your drought. I hope you will have rain soon. We were in drought conditions also but they say it's over now. However, I don't think it was nearly as severe as yours.

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  41. It's so sad to know that you lost garden, but you can always grow some new plants when your land has recovered the drought. Happy blogging always.

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  42. I'm so sorry for you!
    Hope it rains soon.

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  43. Lovely photographs as usual Arija. If you come over, I have several awards for you.

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  44. I'm so sorry your drought has lasted this long. I pray you get the water you need soon. Lovely pictures in memory of your garden.

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  45. Dear Arija,

    I am the fan of your blog since the first time I found it!

    All the best and greetings all the way from East Borneo.

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  46. That is awful that your garden was destroyed from a drought...such a beautiful place that you had made it into! Your photos are beautiful too.

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  47. sad to hear of the loss..

    good to see you managed to salvage some..

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  48. I'm sorry to hear about the drought ...I love all your flower photos, especially the second one...

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  49. Your flowers are lovely, your garden was beautiful. I wish you rain soon, that must be horrible!

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  50. I am sorry to hear about your drought, my friend that lives there has been telling me that it has been extremely hot with no rains. All the work that one puts in to a garden and to lose it all. Not to mention all the expense
    Hope it rains for you soon. I would be happy to send you the snow we are having

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  51. Oh no! That is one lovely garden. It's terrible to lose that. all those beautiful flowers ...

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  52. That is an awfully long time with no water.
    Your garden was indeed beautiful! I hope someday you will be surrounded by beauty again.

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  53. wow! what a beautiful garden, looks like a paradise, all the colors are pretty..

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  54. What beautiful flowers.

    We have snow here where I have my garden so any drought isn´t coming yet.

    Thanks for your comment.

    Gunilla in Sweden

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  55. Arija, I am so sorry about the long drought and the loss of so many plants and flowers. Your garden was beautiful. I will send out good vibes to the rain gods. MB

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  56. it must have sad to lose your beautiful flowers and plants, it's lucky that i'm living where there's no end in flowers blooming except for the sensitive seasonal flowers! my sister-in-law living in Trent, Great Britain always tells me that she feels sad for her garden when winter comes.

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  57. A beautiful garden. I hope that things are better soon and your garden regrows bigger and better. ;-)

    Paz

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  58. I'm so sorry your gardens are suffering so. I do wish you'd get some rain soon!

    My Today's Flowers offering is at http://moreofme24.blogspot.com

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  59. O Arija, das tut mir so Leid!

    Gerne würde ich Euch etwas Wasser von hier abgeben. Mögen schnell Wolken kommen, die Euch den ersehnten Regen schenken!

    Das sind so schöne Blumenfotos, ich spüre Deine Liebe zu all diesen Pflanzen.

    Herzliche Grüsse
    Elfe

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  60. Oh my, a pity to lose such beautiful gardens....Sorry to hear that...I was never aware drought is happening at the moment. Hope all is well with you though and let us hope the rains come soon.

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  61. Wonderful set of pink and red colors - really beautiful! Thank you for your visit and greetings from Croatia.

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  62. Hi Arija, my friend!

    Lovely and wonderful flowers.
    I don't know the name of my white flower, but my aunt Myriam is a specialist, I'll ask the correct name of this flower!

    Luiz

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  63. I've been away so long that I didn't know about any of this, I am so sorry to hear your gardens have been damaged.

    I am just starting with flowers and decided to go deep, I bought a Phalaenopsis orchid!

    For the rainwater it prefers I use snow from out my back door and immerse the whole pot in the water for a minute and let it drain.

    It is responding very well.

    I'm nothing of a gardener like yourself but you do inspire me.

    Again I am so sad for the drought you are experiencing.

    Ted

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