View over front garden bed across to the surrounding Australian bush.

Nice view....

I only know it as 'Bangkok rose' and unfortunately it has suffered in the recent downpour - I'm hoping I can rescue it because it has been quite stunning this year.

Love that Mussaenda! I wish I could grow them...however, they absolutely hate our San Diego water! In a couple of weeks the leaf edges start to brown. : > (

Shame about that Delonix1 - I know they can be rather temperamental about their growing conditions and I must admit this is only the second place I've lived where the mussaenda has grown this well. However, with all the rain we've had would you believe this particular one has now fallen over and lies prostrate on the soggy ground! We can't get in there to do much as the ground is completely sodden.

Bernieh:

I'm sorry to hear about your Mussaenda! I'm sure once it dries out a little you will be able to prop it back up. I had to do this with my Acalypha macrophylla in late November...we received 3 inches of rain in 2 day(which is an incredible amount of rain for San Diego - 1/3 of our annual rainfall) and my plant fell over. I just staked it and tied it up. It's fine now.

I know people who grow Mussaenda species here in San Diego...I just have to find out their secret. They could have a water-softening system or reverse osmosis system. This makes a huge difference with the brown-tipping on hard-water sensitive plants.

We have gotten some rain yesterday and today, however, we need a lot more rain to break our 5 year drought.

Yes Homebird - the verandah is our favourite spot. That view is a great example of what the property and surrounding bush look like during the 'wet' season. Right now though it's a very different view - we have a dry that lasts at least nine months of the year and more if it's a drought year. It's all looking rather brown at the moment.

great views, so lucky :o)

This was taken during the 'wet' season here Sanbaz - it doesn't look this good right now. Everything is rather dry and brown out in the bush and the lawn (for want of a better word!) is completely brown.

i can imagine, my broth-in-law lives in perth and gets so hot and dry there to he said, like you say dont always get the rain even when you are due some,we take water for granted and to you its precious :o)

He's so right - while we call the period from December through to February the 'wet' season that doesn't mean we get lots of rain. In January and February this year we got record rainfall, but for the previous ten years we've had a drought really ... barely any rain at all. Fingers crossed for next year!