2019
/Spring 2019
In mid November the Arboretum was opened up to the public.
Winter 2019
After very little rain in the first half of the year winter rainfall has been excellent and the dams are again full to over flowing. The main disappointment this winter has been the arrival of a hare. The hare badly damaged every young tree in 3 separate groves, about 35 trees in total. So far I have been unable to find hare and get it escorted off the property. I have started guarding the smaller deciduous trees as the hare does not seem to bother the evergreens, so far!
A Snake bark maple after the hare had paid a visit. Note the remaining stump just to the right of middle of the photo.
Autumn 2019
Autumn is a great time of year to get pruning and other tree works done. The tree prunings all go onto the “Phoenix” fire. The Phoenix fire is lit in winter and then the ashes are mixed back into the “Potting mix” pile of soil which is used to plant new trees into.
Summer 2019
An exciting new summer planting was a Ficus religiosa or Bodhi tree. The Bodhi tree, which the Buddha apparently found enlightenment under, is a native of India. Given the frosts and cold winters we get in Deans Marsh this is an optimistic planting but “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. (Although it would be sad to loose this special tree) In autumn I will build the Bodhi tree a small frost house which hopefully will shelter it from the worst of the cold weather.
Luxuriant summer growth on an English oak tree.