It is nearly 5 years since my husband and I shifted to the beautiful Dandenong Ranges. We live in the lower part of the ranges, just above the foothills really, sitting at around 230m above sea level. Not high enough for snow, although that would be nice to see on occasion. But high enough to be clouded in at times and surrounded in a cloudy mist rain. We’re on the right side of the mountains (seaside) to collect a fair bit of rain each year. So far we’ve had 554mm (21.81in) of rain. I decided at the beginning of the year to keep a record of the rainfall here. I wasn’t sure if that was average or what for us but on checking Mt Dandenong (which is at the peak of the ranges and about 1/2 hour drive from us) it seems they average 1164mm a year, so we’re pretty much on track for this area I would say.
I love living in this area, surrounded by bushland and rainforest. Our own property has many deciduous trees on it, planted by past residents in years gone by. Some of our trees are over 50 years old, the eucalypts probably older. One of the things I don’t like is how gum trees just like to drop branches on windy or very wet days, but it seems our lily pilly trees like to do the same. And this weekend our very old willow tree out the back of house decided to do the same. A very, very large bough that took out the eucalypt right next to us. We can be thankful the house and the rainwater tank (spare for the summer) wasn’t damaged along with it. We’re going to miss the shade they both provided each summer at the back of the house. Thought I’d share some images of our willow tree as it has been in the past.
In the summer
Heading into Spring
Close up – the willow does produce flowers and the bees love it.
