Summer

• The wetlands have dried over summer
• Summer thunderstorms bring a brief renewal
• Golden Orb spider fat from a summer harvest
• Wattle pods ready to harvest

Summer months in Australia are December, January and February. 

Summer officially starts 1 December in Australia, but other countries use the summer solstice in late December as the official beginning of summer. 

What causes of summer?

This is when the southern hemisphere of the earth is tilted towards the sun.  The sun appears to move more southerly in the sky.  An explanation for seasonal change is at this website  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuiQvPLWziQ

The summer solstice is marked by the day with the greatest length of daylight, “longest day” when the southern hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun.  After the summer solstice the length of daylight gradually lessens, or become “shorter” days, as the southern hemisphere begins to tilt away from the sun.

Weather

This is the hottest part of the year with very little rain falling.   If rain does fall it is usually from thunderstorms, but this quickly disappears because the hot conditions cause the rain to quickly evaporate.  Temperatures can reach 40^oC or greater for several days.  Winds can be very strong, which means plants and soil dry out quickly.  More water is needed during these times and this is when mulches are a great benefit to plants by keeping soil around them cooler and moist.

What is happening?

Plants 

• Some native grasses, like Kangaroo and Red Grass, enjoy the summer rain and will quickly green up after a bit of rain.
• The longer days promote plant growth. 
• This is the season to harvest seeds of many Australian plants.  Usually by mid-December most wattles and native grass seeds will be ready to harvest.  The most noticeable will be the wattles with their woody pendulous pods drying and splitting as they ripen.

Animals

• Population boom of insects.
• Increased reptile activity, especially snakes and lizards. 
• Increased spider populations following the abundance of insects.  Most noticeable in the garden are the Golden Orb spiders that were well hidden at the beginning of summer will produce large thick webs in the garden by summer’s end. 

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