Surviving The Drought
One of the measures we took to conserve groundwater was to stop watering the lawn and giving the ground plants less than their usual water allocation. Although we lost a large, fruit-bearing lychee tree, some cuttings and air layers did not root. The banana plants had lower yields than usual but continued to survive and multiply. Some plants, such as grape vines, citruses, tamarind, coffee arabica and peach trees, thrived despite the drought.
Thriving After Rain
Our subtropical garden received thunderstorms that fed the plants and restored the strugglers. Once the first rains began, the bananas started to bear fruit, while the rose apple, lilly pilly, and coffee arabica produced more blossoms for a larger crop. The annual herbs and vegetables also thrived as they benefitted from the shade and protection of the trees and vines. Our subtropical recovered and thrived more after the rains.
Holding on Until Time and Conditions are Right
The losses from the drought were minimised, and recovery was instant as the plants conserved their resources until they received ideal conditions. Winning isn’t always about getting everything done; sometimes, it is about holding on until help comes. There are many lessons learned about how plants navigated the trees of drought and global warming. We can weather the tough times and thrive when conditions become more hospitable.
#LoveHomeGrown.
