Seasons in MelbourneWhile I was researching the book I'm currently writing, I found this excellent seasonal calendar for the Melbourne area. (This picture is a bit small, but the link shows it more clearly.)
When you think about it, it doesn't make much sense to apply European seasons to the Australian climate. In Europe, winter is a harsh time, but for native plants in Victora, winter is a time of growth and greenery (if it rains the way it's supposed to!) In contrast, summer is the dangerous season, dry and fiery - not the lush, fertile season of the northern imagination.
I'm trying to train myself to recognise our seasons by looking out the window, rather than following the artifical rotation of the months. The only sad part about this calendar is that there's no autumn. I've always been rather attached to the melancholy of autumn and its cooling days. I'll have to learn to love "early winter" instead!
