WARNING - VERY LONG
- To: "m*@ucdavis.edu" <m*@ucdavis.edu>
- Subject: WARNING - VERY LONG
- From: G* K* <g*@trump.net.au>
- Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 01:25:54 +1000
I wrote this some few days ago for an article in Suite101.com and today
it is the anniversary of the Port Arthur disaster and I remembered how
kind many of the medit-plant folk were to me at that time. So I decided
to send it to my American medit-plant friends though it has not been
published there yet It makes the last sentence a little odd but that
was how I felt when I wrote it
Today is an absolutely perfect Autumn day in the garden at
“Kibbenjelok”. I am sitting in the sunroom and looking through the
windows. I can see and admire the Birch trees, the Betula family,
some clad in bright yellow leaves at the height of their Autumn
grandeur, others, their moment of glory over, dropping their crisp light
brown leaves on to the grass so the worms can come along and drag the
leaves under. We have four different Birch trees in our “white trunk”
mini-wood, most were planted ten years ago and are the graceful and
ubiquitous Silver Birch. Tiny little seedlings all of 3 inches in
height, when purchased, they are now reaching tall into the blue sky
above. When we received the dozens of seedlings from a wholesaler
nursery, I stood in the middle of the large grassed area which once had
been an apple orchard and with foolish faith, I gave some of the pots
holding the baby Birches to Kees and told him to throw them into the
air. I could see in his eyes that he thought I was completely mad.
The pots went sailing through the air, we had a grand time and where
those mini-Birch trees landed, we planted the wee plants and now we have
a Birch wood of great joy to both the native birds and the native
humans.
Over the last ten years, I have introduced more exotic forms of
Birches. Betula papyrifera, the paper Birches of North America are one
of the whitest of barked of all the many species of Betula. I believe
Canadian canoes were made from its wood. This is the first to turn a
brilliant yellow and has now lost its leaves Another elegant tree,
represented here, is the Betula albo-sinensis var. septentrionalis, a
Chinese Birch with beautiful bark, coloured orange and yellow with a
pink and grey bloom. Today, its leaves are still green. The most
expensive Birch in the mini-wood is utilis var jacquemontii, the
foliage larger and the trunk and branches already an intense white bark
though they are still young saplings .
As twilight draws in, I now look towards the “Cinderella Big Pond” to
see if the seventy year old Birch is beginning to colour. There is not
a breath of air, the stillness almost canny. There is movement on the
lake but that comes from the ducks, the native hens and Kees’ rainbow
trout that are leaping to catch the dragon flies. The robins, thrushes,
parrots, silver eyes, blackbirds and friends are still busy eating
apples in the remaining orchards. The noisy New Holland honeyeaters
take the opportunity to forage in the Autumn blooms in the quieter than
usual gardens. Not that they can’t hold their own against the other
birds but the dozens of bumble bees that are working their little hearts
out in all parts of the gardens, are well and truly protecting their
territory. And to perhaps make a liar out of me, a whole family of
little blue tits have just flown in and are checking out the remaining
berries on the Rowan tree!
A wonderful, peaceful, pastoral scene to love and enjoy, that is my
scene today. I live and garden in a small, backwater island, unknown
or forgotten by most of the World.
Thousands of miles away from America and Europe, I feel today I could be
lucky enough to live on another planet
--
Gay Klok Tasmania
NEW ARTICLE: April article:
The story of an extraordinary lady gardener and florist
A childhood friend, Kitty was instrumental it making me
the passionate garden and flower lover that I am
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/tasmanian_gardening
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/3411
http://members.tripod.com/~klok/WRINKLY_.HTM
