So hot

At this time of the year in the tropics, I don't do much gardening, unless it is really necessary.  During the Christmas break I spent a couple of days tidying up and cutting back, and mulching.  I also drank lots and lots of water to stay hydrated.  The area around the pool has not had much attention for a while, and luckily we acquired this lovely bromeliad.  The golden cane was removed, and then I could get stuck in and plant out a few easier to manage plants.  It all got a good mulching as luckily one of the neighbours has some extra mulch.  Everything is settling in well, and we even have a flower spike!

I cut back severely along the fence because my neighbour has a passionfruit vine growing there.  I couldn't reach to pick the passionfruit, and if left to fall on the ground they attract rats.  I have to continue to cut back the vine so that it doesn't climb all over the plants.  The passionfruit is nice, but the maintenance is pretty time consuming.

I cut a big branch of the lady slipper orchid back and then pruned all the plants around that area pretty severely.  The vine tends to be too heavy and thick for the tree, and I am not sure whether to provide a solid structure such as an arch for it to climb.  It will have to be fairly high, which means none of the standard cheap options will do.

The veggie patch got a good makeover as well - the paths are all cleaned and the edges evened out.  Odd bits of cardboard are laid over the ground to stop weeds sprouting up.  I have a very tenacious capsicum plant growing - along with some eggplant, long green beans and a chili bush. I am harvesting lovely asparagus, just wish I had a few more plants. Ginger, lemongrass and turmeric is doing well.  It has been very hot with very little rain, and soon we will have the flooding rains of the wet season.  In the meantime, my garden and I both take a rest at this time of year.  

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have awesome plans to make this year the best ever!