Henry Lawson ( 1867-1922) is one of Australia’s most famous short story writers and poets. My favorite story is entitled, Water Them Geraniums. One of the characters, Mrs Spicer, tries to maintain some beauty in her difficult life of isolation and hardship in the Australian bush, by growing geraniums. Her final, dying, words to her daughter were “water them geraniums”. It’s worth a read. Just follow the link.

I never take any drop of water for granted where I live. If my garden is neglected, it shrivels up and dies in the harsh Australian climate. Luckily I live on an irrigated farm, so I have access to water. It’s expensive, but I couldn’t imagine living without a garden.

The geranium pictured above, lives in a pot under the verandah, just outside my door. It needs very regular water to survive. It’s just about to flower.