When enough is really enough!

Everything seems to have calmed down  for the moment and the cool change has allowed the fire fighters to bring  the two major bushfires under control. This has come as a welcome relief for the fire crews. The dogs have been good these last few days and they, like us, just wanted to try and stay cool. I am going to take advantage of the cooler conditions and head off to Adelaide for the day. I will leave at about 6am in the morning and be back  late evening. I have a number of things to do and I should have enough time to get them done since they are in the city rather than the outlying areas. Well one is, Bunnings at Parafield, but I can accommodate that. I spent a good bit of time at the Garden Center and had my soil analysed and in essence it’s ok, but too compacted and not allowing water to penetrate through the soil to the roots of things I plant. I have treated the area with a wetting agent that should help to loosen the soil and allow water to get to where it’s needed. Although I have to be very honest and say that 44c really doesn’t care what plants and flowers it burns because all the wetting agent in the world will not save them – nor has it. I waited until it cooled down before I planted the flowers, used the soil wetter agent, fertilised and along comes another four days of 39-43c heat and they are struggling. Despite all the care and mulch, they are in serious trouble and I don’t think they can be saved. This is the last!  I am spending  way too much money on plants that just die despite the attention I give them, so no more. I think in the greenhouse where they were grown someone came in and left a door open for a few minutes and they didn’t die so they must be heat tolerant (On Label) and they were out side in a 25c day and they didn’t die so they must be Full Sun tolerant (Also on Label)  Full Sun in the highlands of Victoria is very different from Full Sun in  Arid South Australia’s mid-north. I have had my soil tested, I have spent  a lot on fertiliser, soil treatment, mulch, bought full sun and heat tolerant plants and nothing survives.  It’s all too, too traumatic.  I think concrete and paving stones are the way to go.