I had thought I would mention some little tips for gardening in the heat, indeed, living in the heat this week. However, it seems a little presumptuous to imagine you don’t know this already, and besides, I sometimes think if I mention mulch again, I will wake up with seeds growing out of my ears. Indeed, far be it from me to lecture on how to make your way through a hot spell, especially as I only have very clean teeth and wet sheets to offer. Anyway, I suspect you are all well equipped to face whatever without my harping.
I do feel though, as we are nearing the end of a year that felt like a Dorothea Mackellar poem re-enactment, how good we are at just keep going. Much of life is simply putting one foot down and picking the other up. Mr. Moble and I ventured into Quilpie last Tuesday, on an afternoon that sizzled and fried inside the vehicle with the air-conditioning whirring; outside it was char-grilled, very well done.
Quilpie is a town blessed with an excellent supply of Great Artesian bore water. As with most blessings, it is a mixed one. The water erupts from the core of the earth at a temperature that is not conducive to growing anything; so Quilpie gardeners pop their sprinklers up on all manner of ingenious props, the extra height allowing the water to cool a fraction before it hits the gardens.
It seemed the entire town was a sprinkler that afternoon and despite the rather fearful conditions we have been experiencing, the town looked wonderful. These gardeners have adapted and overcome; it is a tough climate in a rugged year, yet we saw green gardens flowering on amongst hundreds of garden hoses and sprinklers. They just keep going.
I feel so lucky to live in a district that responds rather than reacts. Perhaps it is the heat that makes us slower off the mark, giving us time to think things through? Maybe the time spent fashioning a new sprinkler stand allows for contemplation rather than judgement? In any event, I applaud those Quilpie gardeners and admire their never-ending efforts to keep things growing and to just keep going.
I would like to thank you all for your company this year, I have so enjoyed sharing the Moble garden with you. We have met some wonderful people and caught up with dear old friends, the garden seems to be an easy introduction. Please remember even when it is shut, the gate is always open.
I do hope we will meet up again next year. Until then, my best wishes for a safe and happy Christmas day and all good health, fun and happiness for the year ahead,
The Moble Gardener
