Listen, look and feel the rain folks

There has been more than the average rainfall for July already. It's been excellent for the land and for the gardens. I even managed to get my lemon tree and grapefruit tree moved and replanted in between the showers. The local nursery people tell me there should be no problem with them taking hold - even though I had to cut away some of the roots before I moved one of them. The olive tree I planted some months ago is not looking too well; the leaves are rather yellowish in colour. I understand it needs some Seasol, a seaweed concentrate and soil revitaliser. My advisers tell me also that it could need some liquid fertiliser that is strong in trace elements. Seasol, by the way, can be used on seedlings and new plants, large and stressed trees, and lawns. I have been very busy over the past few weeks, getting a bit late with some of my articles too. However, I have found that gardening, as if you didn't know, is a great way to relax. As a lot of the gardening books say: 'in this stressful world, with high anxiety, a garden is a really good place to recover.' You will all no doubt have been busy, in the southern hemisphere that is, with the winter maintenance chores and the essential planting chores. Pruning of the fruit trees will be one of the jobs I am sure. I will certainly be pruning back the two trees I transplanted; they need to be able to withstand the shock of a move. Pruning always aims to make sure the trees grow tidily with a strong new growth that will support lots of good fruit. Ian Dawson a member of a family business on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia writes that 'citrus trees first reached Australia in 1788, when Captain Arthur Phillip sailed for Australia with instructions to introduce plants and seeds.' Oranges, limes and lemons came from Rio de Janeiro and were planted in and around Sydney. Obviously since then there have been many other importations and lots of the varieties grown here are well thought of around the world. I believe I mentioned some time ago that I had planted a Cumquat tree. Hoping to make some Cumquat brandy later on in the year. I believe that this plant is not strictly a citrus tree but is very closely related. This time of the year is a good one for doing any building that is needed. I have begun a low wall around some plants at the front of the house. I decided on a dry stonewall, in the main because that is one of the easier types to construct. Last weekend the sand arrived so I have been busy sorting out the various sizes of stone and putting the sand in place. It is, as I said before, a good way to relax. Takes the place of the morning walk too sometimes.

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