The rain has come at last, and for my land at least it is not a case of too little too late. Having had only three showers of rain in March (and then only 1 mm/0.12 in at a time), the ground was terribly dry. There were cracks in the paddocks you could have lost your car keys down!

I took the above photo on the 1st of March, when the paddock was dry as a bone. Then, on the first of June, Queen’s Birthday public holiday, my land was gifted a whopping 29 mm of rain in one day. Happy birthday, Your Majesty! And happy birthday to the horses grazing my land, who suddenly had some fresh new grass to eat (which they gorged on until it upset their tummies).

It’s wonderful seeing what’s springing up in the pastures. I am actually surprised what a great pasture it is, given that it was so dreadfully overstocked when I took it on. I have spotted both small-leafed and medium-leafed white clovers, cocksfoot, prairie grass, poa, and tall fescue, among other pasture plants.

The soil temperatures (surprisingly warm for early winter) are giving the plants a much needed extra boost in the growth department.

The new growth isn’t always welcome, of course. I’ve been busy grubbing out both Scotch Thistle and Nodding Thistle (yikes), along with small patches of dock, mallow weed, and a few other plant pests. At least getting onto them so early (and going into a colder time of year) means that they won’t have a chance to set seed and multiply!

All in all, the good pasture news outweighs the bad by a great stretch, so it’s worth a happy dance or two!