Browbeat By Bugs And Feeling The Heat, Yet Still Done To A Tea(tree)

29 June 2025

All sorts of life events have come into play to prevent complete dedication to loves like cycling and gardening, but I have neglected the latter in particular over the past year. Nonetheless, despite the garden being beset by bugs and another blistering summer, pockets are thriving including the cute blossoms on the teatree.

The teatree is a little special, as along with the silver wattle, it’s the first Aussie native plant we bought.

It has thrived since we planted it in the ground about three-and-a-half years ago.

But not quite as well as other trees, notably the two wattles–one golden and the other silver–that stand either side of it.

So the truck remains thin and flimsy.

But the tree is hardy and currently blessing us with some lovely blossoms, though you have to look hard to see them.

The same can’t be said for the kangaroo paw. After a slow start, the plants that mean so much to me are really thriving in the heat and sunshine that late June has conjured up for us. I guess this is weather somewhat reminiscent of their native Western Australia, though probably not as dry.

Also thriving is the star of our garden, the grevillea.

A ground-covering coastal spider grevillea planted at its foot has not been so lucky. It had looked unhealthy for a few weeks, and yesterday I unearthed a nest of bugs that were chewing away on its roots. Despite the 35 degree-plus heat, I dug her out of the ground and repotted her in a huge pot filled with soil prepared especially for Aussie plants. I may have killed the plant, but the bugs would have done so for sure, so I took action. I talked to her, telling her why I had repotted her. I will gently nurture her and hope for the best.

Other potted plants have struggled with the heat, so I have tried to keep them well watered. And the scorched lawn has turned into its usual summer dustbowl. I will need to re-lay it using a Japanese grass.