Wattle Tree Damage
One wintry week in July 2006 we experienced a different type of snow storm. Wet, heavy snow in the evergreen trees caused much damage. Crack! Crack! The Wattle Woods were falling down!
From This... June 2006
I felt really sorry for the area of the garden I call the Wattle Woods - only one of these trees was left standing. Lose the plural? 'Wattle Wood' didn't have any sort of ring to it.
Crash!
Sorry, Non-Gardening Partner
Then I felt sorry for Non-Gardening Partner. Huge pieces of Wattle were down, the garden was flattened, and I could see at least his next eight weekends fully occupied with the chain-saw.
Working in the Wattle Woods
And I felt sorry for me - my job was to lop off the smaller branches, prepare piles for the shredder or the burning heap. At such times the older-lady gardener is tempted to call in a gang of burly men and retreat inside with a good book...
Buying New Plants
The fun started when the Woods were finally cleared. After the clean-up - the replanting! I bought some ornamental trees, some new Rhododendrons, Cistus shrubs and Hebes. Some are even still there in place, two years later. Most of the Wattle stumps are hidden in the foliage.
To This... September 2006
The 'Big Wet Snow' of 2006 is now a part of Moosey Weather folklore. I got a newly opened-up area to garden in. I had a good excuse to load the car up with new plants purchased from the nursery. Every wet snow storm has a silver lining...