Spring weather is predictably unpredictable here is Tasmania, and after beginning with summer-like weather in the first week of September, we've had snow this week. Its the first real dump of snow in around 8 years at Swallows Nest Farm. Thankfully I think the plants will cope okay, although many of the branches were bowed down under the weight of the snow.
Most of the Safari Goldstrikes have been harvested - if they hadn't been I imagine they would be bent over like the plants beside them.
Pink Ice ... literally.
Maui Sunset and Tall Red bending over with the weight of the snow.
The Tall Red is nearly finished flowering.
Safari Sunset acted as little cups, catching snow and ice.
The Waratahs were a little early this year. I'm not sure how they'll cope with the snow!
The kids had a lot of fun making snowmen and having snowball fights this morning - it was a memorable day on the farm!
Even though it is really beautiful I sincerely hope you did not have too much damage? Our season is also somewhat scrambled with some plants flowering much later and others even earlier. I am somewhat concerned that those plants that need it did not have sufficient winter rest period. On a total different note, I see the spacing of your gold strikes looks like 2m in the row and 3m apart, did you plant all your leucadendron like that?
ReplyDeleteKemp
Hi Kemp,
DeleteWe had some branches of Safari Sunset that have snapped under the weight of the snow - they were ones that I hadn't got around to prune yet and I guess they've pruned themselves. They are well established and I think they'll bounce back. Other than that, no damage which I'm happy about! It has been a very strange year, weather wise, with our hottest day in 50 years, and then snow in spring. Our Goldstrikes are in 3 metre rows, you're right! Because we inherited some older plantings we realised the benefit of wide rows. We have some rows of established plants that we can't get our little ride-on mower down and it makes maintenance really difficult. The space between the plants are 1.8 metres. For some smaller growing leuco's we do 1.5, but we keep the rows 3 mt wide.
Grace