October 2011 - One
A Couple of Problems Sorted

I've been trying to ignore a few problems over the past couple of years
in the hope that they would just go away - but they didn't!

The hardenbergia which has been blooming profusely on the fence each spring
ever since I planted it in place of the original potatoe vines, seem to be afflicted
by some sort of a fungal problem, and this year look truly tragic.
The experts tell me I should spray with mancozeb.
And in the top right of the photo you can see that the dead silver birch
is definitely on its way out.

I've been trying to live amicably with the three silky oak (grevillea robusta) trees,
but my amicability has gradually changed to animosity.

Yesterday I swept every leaf from the driveways and also removed them
from the garden beds as they cover the shrubs, preventing the rain from penetrating
and harbouring webbing spiders and other beasties.
Today (as every day) there's a new crop.
It wouldn't be so bad if they would compost down to a nice leaf mould
like other deciduous trees, but they can lie around for years in a heap
without changing from their original leathery texture.



So it was time to call in the tree fellers. No cherry picker for this expert.
I've never known anyone who can fell such large trees without damaging any of the
surrounding vegetation. He cuts almost all the way through the tree above him
and then pushes it with dead-eye accuracy into a vacant spot on the ground.

 

Nothing is wasted, as it all goes through the chipper, and eventually it will all go back onto the garden.
So farewell perpetual silky oak leaves.

next - Still Enjoying Spring

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