During the Tugarah Gunya’marri the days are getting noticeably longer, but the weather is still cold. Then with the blooming of the Marrai’uo (Acacia floribunda) comes the cold, southwesterly winds; the children become cranky and the adults become bad-tempered.
It is not a good time of year for anyone.

Frances Bodkin ‘D’harawal: Climate and Natural Resoucres’

This paragraph is taken from a beautiful book titled D’harawal: Climate and Natural Resources, and it is acutely accurate in its description of the weather and mood of this past few weeks.
We are battered by wind both my garden and myself, and I have been prompted to write about some of my favourite native plants which seemed to be unfazed by this weather.
In the image above you can see the ever-tolerant Casuarina ‘Green Wave’ which bends graciously with the wind.

Of course good old Coastal Rosemary is not bothered by wind either, at present one of my favourites is Westringia ‘Smokey’ as seen above, looks great combined with Brachyscome multifida.

The title image is a combination of Calothamnus qudrifidus Grey and Melaleuca ‘Mini Quini’ (also seen above) both these species can handle harsh wind. Mini Quini is a dwarf compact form of Melaleuca quinquenervia the broad leaved paperbark, it gets to about one metre high x 1 metre wide and forms a lovely lush green mound in full sun or part shade.

Another dwarf form of a very hardy wind tolerant tree is Leptospermum laevigatum ‘Foreshore’, this is a dense low growing shrub that naturally grows into a sphere.

Callitris rhomboidea is a native confier to the Sydney region, and like most conifers it can be used as a wind break! In the image above you can see the lovely bronze tips of the flowers too, it has a naturally tall slender habit reaching 10-15 metres and about 3-5 wide.

And last but not least we have the dwarf Banksia spinulosa cultivars, they are naturally low growing so the wind isn’t too much of an issue, the one above is Banksia’ Bush Candles’.
So I hope the worst of the wind is behind us and we can begin to look forward to Murrai’ yunggory – Cool, getting warmer.

The cold winds have now gone, and the days are starting to get warmer. The buds of the Warratah swell and redden, and the flying foxes gather in vast numbers over D’harawal Lands as the sun sinks below the horizon and dusk falls. Gentle rains fall during this time, and the flowers bloom heavy with nectar.

BTW – I highly recommend this book ‘D’harawal: Climate and Natural Resources’ Compiled by Frances Bodkin, it is far more accurate than the BOM or our 4 season calendar!