Moan, moan, moan----get it off your chest or have a chat

[Maggi Young]

The only problem was that I was resizing pictures of a Flower Show I made this week but that was impossible.
So watch out for them hopefully tomorrow?

We promise not to moan if we have to wait, Luit 

[Paul T]

My Liliums have cooked!!!!!!  My poor Liliums.  Many of my potted Liliums, burgeoning with buds (or in some cases open flowers) cooked today I think.  Buds are a burnt brown in top, flowers are flopping.  So many wonderful flowers that will never open.    All it took was a couple of days of 37^oC-ish and then today's 39^oC (was forecast 37^oC).  Tomorrow and Tuesday are forecast 38^oC.  Absolutely awful, as so dry.  Just can't keep the water up to the pots in this weather. 

Still, probably much worse in some of our other readers gardens...... Victoria and South Australia I think had lots of 41^oC forecasts today I think.  Otto mentioned that he had that forecast for today when I was talking to him on the phone yesterday.

My poor Liliums..... 

[Anthony Darby]

Got this today from Vivienne's cousin in South Australia. It was 5.30 p.m. and 43^oC when she sent it.

FIRE BAN & FIRE DANGER RATING ADVICE FOR 11 JANUARY

Issued at: 4:30PM on Sunday, 10 January 2010

TOTAL FIRE BANS
Media and the public are advised that TOTAL FIRE BANS have been declared for
Monday, 11 January 2010 in the following Fire Ban Districts:

Adelaide Metropolitan - Extreme
Mount Lofty Ranges- Catastrophic
Kangaroo Island- Catastrophic
Mid North- Catastrophic
Yorke Peninsula- Catastrophic
Murraylands- Catastrophic
Riverland- Extreme
Upper South East- Catastrophic
Lower South East- Catastrophic
Flinders- Extreme
North East Pastoral- Severe
Eastern Eyre Peninsula- Catastrophic
North West Pastoral- Severe
Lower Eyre Peninsula- Catastrophic
West Coast- Catastrophic

Where Total Fire Bans have been declared, very hazardous fire weather
conditions are predicted.

The Total Fire Ban will apply for 24 hours from midnight tonight to midnight
tomorrow.

The CFS recommends that you implement your Bushfire Survival Plan.

FIRE DANGER RATINGS

Where fire ban districts have a forecast fire danger rating of Catastrophic,
well prepared, well constructed and defended homes may not be safe during a
fire. To ensure your survival you should leave tonight or early tomorrow
morning.

Where fire ban districts have a forecast fire danger rating of Extreme, only
well prepared, well constructed and actively defended houses are likely to
offer safety during a fire.

Where fire ban districts have a forecast fire danger rating of Severe, well
prepared and actively defended houses can offer safety during a fire

If you don?t have a plan to ensure your survival, leaving early before a
fire starts is your safest option.
Landowners are asked to adhere to local harvest codes of practice which are
available from your local council.

Landowners are also asked to ensure that any burn-off activities conducted
today are fully extinguished before midnight tonight.

Agencies are advised to activate their Total Fire Ban procedures in
preparation for these predicted fire weather conditions.

For further information contact the Bushfire Information Hotline on 1300 362
361 or visit cfs.sa.gov.au

Email ID: 582370

[Hristo]

Many, many comiserations Paul! ( sorry no emoticon for sombre reflection )

[Lesley Cox]

What I find utterly incredible about the Australian fire warning notice, is that all these bans are for 24 hrs and seem to be reassessed each day. In NZ where the fire dangers are nothing like so extreme, when a fire ban is put in place it is usually for the whole summer, no exceptions, unless as very rarely happens, there is major rainfall within a banned area. 41C was forecast for Melbourne today, 44 for Adelaide, according to our own forecast. After our own we get predicted weather for Australia and the Pacific islands, probably for the benefit of travellers. It makes me almost weep for my Australian friends.

[Lesley Cox]

Paul, I'm truly sorry about your lovely lilies. I guess it means no decent flowers until next year now. In my long experience, almost all plants can cope with extreme heat provided their compost is moist. I've found hostas and primulas, rhododendrons, and other small ericaceous plants will cope with temps in the highest 30s if they were well watered the night before while at another time if they have become a bit dry, they're fine if the temps are in the 20s, but hit 30s and the leaves go brown and crisp in hours. Once the leaves of rhodos have browned, they are lost. I've no doubt too that lilies in pots would likewise need constant moisture to survive the hot Canberra temps. They would maybe cope better if planted in the garden?

[Paul T]

Lesley,

It's a space thing, garden-wise.    I've not had this happen before like this, enmasse as yesterday.  I have a feeling that the official 39 was perhaps a bit higher than that in my back yard yesterday.  We have watering restrictions that make it difficult to water outside of our alloted times, but I tend to wander around with a watering can from our tank when necessary.  I obviously didn't give them enough, even then.

Thanks Chris.

Anthony,  I cannot even begin to think about 44.  Hopefully I'll never have to here, although the way it is going in recent years I think the chances are definitely increasing.

[fermi de Sousa]

We've just had our third day of 40^oC in a row! We could use some of that snow you guys have in abundance over in the NH! Just pack it in large boxes and post'em over
Paul,
commiserations on the liliums. I won't see the flowers on a couple of our new ones till next year but some have still managed to open a bloom or two (I'll try to post some pics to the Lilium thread)
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Not good temp-wise.  We ended up with just over 38 again today.  Forecast the same for tomorrow.  Some of the Lilium buds have recovered, but some definitely will never open properly.  I'm watering them from the tank morning and evening now, just to keep them going as long as possible for next year's stores.  Thankfully many of them have already finished.  I have lots of photos, but haven't processed for uploading.  Working evenings has messed up my body clock somewhat and I am tired all the time...... hopefully I'll adjust one of these weeks. 

[annew]

I'm too uncomfortable at 27C, I can't begin to imagine what 43C feels like. I wish I could send you some snow.

[angie]

Fermi, Snow here is finally starting to melt and temperatures are above freezing but I can easily gather some of our snow and post it but only if you share some of your lovely weather with us, joking apart its just nice to hear and see whats happening on the other side of the world.

Paul sorry to hear about your plants, ours are frozen to death and yours are cooked with the heat, all we need is to be somewhere in the middle and we all would be happy.

Angie

[fermi de Sousa]

Temperatures didn't drop below 26^oC overnight - not good for trying to sleep without air-conditioning!
Today's it's got to 36^oC so far -better than another 40^o I suppose  - and there is a mild cool change due this evening.
Some of the lilium pics :




 
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Ouch, Fermi.  Similar to a few things I see in my back yard at present.

Already got to 39.1^oC so far today officially for Canberra..... about 15 minutes ago.  I expect it to get warmer still I think..... it's only 3:50pm and often our hottest time is closer to 5pm.

[Otto Fauser]

Ouch, Fermi.  Similar to a few things I see in my back yard at present.

Already got to 39.1^oC so far today officially for Canberra..... about 15 minutes ago.  I expect it to get warmer still I think..... it's only 3:50pm and often our hottest time is closer to 5pm.

       
Paul , it got to 42 here in Olinda just after 4pm yesterday , but i sprayed the choicer Primulas ,Gentians  , Androsaces , Paraquilegias  etc several times during the day -and so far all look fine . A clump of Lilium chalcedonicum in bloom in the open garden also looks untouched  . Probably my Onco Irises might enjoy the heat .
 But now the cool change has arrived - so hopefully a good night's sleep .
      
          otto     

[JPB]

While looking for a suitable potting mix for my Dianthus gallicus plants, I came across this site:

http://www.plant-supplies.com/plants/dianthusgallicus.htm

There is a lot of uninformative BS on the internet, but this one is the winner! All you ever wanted to know on photosynthesis, hummingbirds, fragrant flowers....it's all there!!! Chapeau!!!

A click to the contact-page shows that someone calling himself a professor is the genius behind this crap:

http://www.plant-supplies.com/admin/contact_us.htm

Please, "Professor" Roocroft, stop this nonsense and either read a good basic book on plants or go and sell tupperware or I don't care what,  but leave the plants to those who really care!