Embedded Files
This Sunday is not a splendid day.
I like it I like the type of grey, louring skies of this season. It was wet & cold but with the enthusiasm of Julian leading the mission to trim the Wild Hedge the friends of Surrey Square Park hardly noticed.
As a matter of fact, with the tea and biscuits generously supplied by Daniel and the familiar faces around, it turned out to be a rather cosy affair.
As usual Julian and Daniel were the first to arrive. Bringing along most of the equipment (Daniel had to go back and get the rest of the stuff) with them.
I concentrated on the Wild life Area and dropped all the little equipment I had on the "Central Plaza" . The umbrella was there not to protect me but to shelter the backpack and the rest of the content, so that doesn't get too soggy.
The WildLife Area itself was still verdant and enchanted in the rain and drizzle of the our but it had accumulated quite a bit of rubbish (especially on the Kinglake side) and although a better cleaning will hopefully take place later on in the winter, when all the vegetation has died out, some garbage collection is never amiss.
Interestingly on the west side of the area, along Albridge Street, where we cleared some Baddleja and used the space to put the grass cut from the the flower meadow last month, the mat of herbage is mulching quite nicely and new growth of grasses are appearing.
Still the section need some more trimming and the removal of the Baddleja stump.
In the meantime on the Wild Hedge the activity is in full swing. Julian get on the trimming of he hawthorn bushes, Coro show up and manage to get hold of her favourite instrument, a large pair of secateurs that we found in the WLA a couple of years back, and get into the swing of it with (probably and suspiciously) boundless zest.
Daniel returns with tea and other refreshments, Tenzin walks in the midst of it all and start moving thing around, while taking advantage of the workaholic atmosphere the Wildman of Kinglake comes out of nowhere, out of the thick vegetation, armed and dangerous!
With some difficulty I manage to inveigle Tenzin into helping out in the WildLife Area, so that maybe in two we can redirect the destructive instinct of the Wildman to some purposeful endeavour.
The plan works. The stump is eradicated, the clearing further trimmed and the ground levelled. While Tenzin, exhausted, poses to take stock of the achievements but the Wildman sizes the moment and escapes.
When calm is restored we all get together to clear the vast amount of garden waste that has been produced so far. The composting site is the one we just cleared and crammed all the loads on the newly exposed ground.
Even the inside of the ballcourt is cleared of the growth (in order to prevent Council contractors doing a much worse job later on) and we are nearly ready to depart but Coro is not done yet!!
Eventually she is restrained by the Friends and used by the lesser burdock for transporting its seeds far away...We all are tired but satisfied. Even the Wildman is at peace.
We pose for the customary "rubbish group pictures" and depart taking with us some memory of our little corner of wilderness.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse