Madame is by far the greatest asset of her business and the reason it has done so well. How to keep her input after she has retired is not an easy question to answer. We want the business to continue success for multiple reasons, one of which is to continue to provide income. So part of the retirement operation is selling Madame. I have nothing to sell, save for the room I occupy. A solicitor has ongoing work and goodwill, but not so a barrister.
Not only were foxes introduced but so were rabbits. A dreadful pest. The warm climate has also made introduced plants become noxious weeds. Blackberries, lantanas, agapanthus, and many others.
Certainly in Blue Mountains. Many people used it out of gardens to stabilise areas and it grew out of control. It is now called an invasive environmental weed. Here is a site about it in mountains, even at Three Sisters.sesl.com.au/blog/day-of-the-agapanthus-not-triffids/
Full-sized agapanthus are considered a noxious weed here. If you already have them growing, there doesn't seem to be any action taken, but the only ones you can buy are miniature. I dug about 20 of the (insert rude words) out of our old garden - took me the whole of one summer because of their root systems.
In other garden related news, we have just had the arborist in, chopping out all the native trees not endemic to this area. It felt a bit odd, asking for natives to be chopped, but the sunlight the remaining trees are getting shows just how much the wrong trees were crowding them out. The kohekohe, which is the main tree for this area, is flowering madly at the moment, and all of a sudden, we can see them. For those of a botanical bent, the "wrong" trees were karaka, puriri and pohutukawa. We have kept two large puriri for the birds, but apart from that, about 40 trees have been felled.
Agapanthus are considered noxious plants further north, but the cold helps keep them under control here and the Council uses then to landscape areas around motorways and parks.
I like pohutukawa, but they don't belong here either, although they will grow if planted - which the council have done further up the road, close to the estuary. The Cathedral shop used to sell pohutukawa seeds to tourists and I discovered then that they are not welcome in some Pacific Islands where they will edge out the local trees.
I think one of the positive changes to the CBD here since the quakes has been the planting of native trees and flaxes. Not everyone agrees, of course. Historically Christchurch is said to be the most "English" of NZ cities, and the gardens reflected that. I would love to be around in 50 to 100years' time to see the landscape then. (Instead I'll just have to content myself with seeing the new Central Library Tuuranga*, when it opens in August/ September this year.
*The correct spelling of the name has a macron over the u - which I don't know how to do on here, so have reverted to the older, less correct version of using a double u to denote a long vowel sound.
I know that our indigenous agapanthus and clivias have tenacious roots and spread like crazy in optimal conditions, but out here (South Africa) we don't consider them a problem. Unlike the invasive aliens black wattle and eucalyptus.
Huia, we've got the same mixture of 'little England on the veld' and indigenous planting, plus imported aliens from Australia and New Zealand (flaxes and grasses among them) and I'd also like to be around in a century to see what it looks like then. Not just drought-tolerant planting but low ground covers are now popular choices. And community food gardens with indigenous berries and fruits.
I can recognise some of the worst invasive weeds often planted by early settlers to make the place more like home. Tradescantia – I used to keep it firmly down but after a couple of years of being relatively inactive I can see it coming down the bank at the back of the house. Up on the Coromandel it's pampas grass that distresses me, spreading like mad, and some people don't know the difference between it and native toetoe. I bought a postcard up there with a rather undistinguished photo of a beach with 'New Zealand's graceful toetoe' (NO! – it's pampas grass!!) in the foreground. I posted it to the photographer/publisher with some trenchant comments. 'Old Man's Beard (clematis) is another dreadful one; I have seen whole hillsides where it's smothering the native trees.
Wellington Parks & Reserves are gradually replacing pohutukawa (not native to our area) with red rata but there are a lot of huge mature trees that I hope they keep.
And my beautiful graceful winter flowering kowhai, usually in bloom by the beginning of June, shows no sign of flowering. I hope it will start before too long. Maybe it's the strange season, or maybe it's having a growing year instead of a flowering one – I've seen pohutukawa doing that. Its tui comes to check it out and then disappears after singing a few bars of its song.
Tradescantia is a swear word in our house. We had it in Berhampore and we have it in Waikanae. When we first moved here there were such big patches of it we sought advice from the council, who advised spraying it. After ascertaining that it wouldn't hurt the trees we did spray, which was effective for the big bits. But after the apocalypse the cockroaches will be eating tradescantia.
The tree in my apartment's backyard came down last Saturday. A huge deciduous specimen of some sort, its roots were interfering with the sewage pipes. Having rented here for 3 years it has marked the distinct seasons for me, and provided many a bird with a place to sing during the day.
May not miss the autumn leaf sweeping, but miss the tree.
Climacus, we're losing even the hardiest trees in this terrible drought and I dread seeing what some streets will look like in spring without that bright green and flowering loveliness.
Thanks, Climacus -- we've had some winter rains recently and our dams are now supposedly 3% better off. Not comforting. I saw a report on Australian farmers battling and I know California is trying to work out a five-year plan in the event of worsening drought.
I feel like we're getting everyone else's rain. If it were up to me you could have it back. For the last few weeks its been intermittent fog and drizzle, which is temporarily lowering to the spirits, but nowhere near as bad as losing trees, which would be much more long term in the impact it made.
Pretty well most of the state needs rain. Good now to top up dams but little use for crops and pastures as growth requires not only moisture but warmth. Still, dams always can use extra. Blast it in this direction, Huia. Capetown might be a spot too far to blow it to.
We are getting steady drizzle here - but Gisbourne on the East Coast of the North Island is forecast to have up to 220mm of rain between 3 pm today and 2 pm tomorrow. Peak rainfall could be up to 25mm in an hour, with strong winds. I hope the forecasters got it wrong because the ground there is already saturated and houses have been destroyed. It's probably not the town itself that hardest hit but the outlying areas. This is an area with very high unemployment relative to the rest of NZ, so there will probably be a lot of uninsured and underinsurured properties
Wow - and I whinge about the very little we are getting in comparison - I feel ashamed of myself.
Started my new job yesterday, and I think I'm going to enjoy it. I have an office the size of the one I shared with four other people in my previous job (got to love the health system), which feels indecently luxurious apart from the cockroaches. I'll leave them alone if they leave me alone. The staff are happy to have me, and I have a lovely boss. Now, if I can just get the computer systems running faster than a centenarian with a walker, I'll be a happy woman.
MaryLouise, I seem to remember reading that pohutukawa had been introduced to South Africa – sure, Google has many references to it… Pohutukawa has become an invasive species in South Africa, with locals now trying to stop new trees from growing, because our pohutukawa (safe from possums at least!) grow rapidly and in thick stands, out-competing native plants.
GG
Moving suddenly seems a lot closer. Documents re stamp duty arrived in my inbox this afternoon. I am paying for it. A couple of grand less than I expected but I think I did not look up correct sale price, just a guess. With house prices being what they are, it is hard to see how government says revenue from stamp duty is on way down. This is a hefty amount with lots of numbers in it.
When I pay this next week from working account, that account will look sadly depleted. Fortunately I have another account.
Sympathy, Loth. The costs, unforeseen niggles and inconveniences are always the tough side of moving, aren't they? But all worth it when you finally finish unpacking and get to enjoy your new home.
Lovely to hear of rain for you. Hope there is lots more good soaking rain.
Stamp duty is really lots of money for government. Payable before settlement. Am looking forward to move but not to unpacking. I gave a lot away, decluttered. We all have but three kitchens? Most lounge things will be bought in a couple of months. DIL and son have dining table and good chairs for 14. We all have beds. Lots to amalgamate but also a need to assess what we need
It is a cause for celebration, FD and Climacus. We have a big storm front with gale-force winds heading in from the Atlantic, rain, floods, snow and mudslides predicted. All we care about right now is that rain.
Oh, GG, I saw your post earlier. Yes, pohutukawa is a menace out here, threatening the indigenous and fragile Cape fynbos. Like so many unwanted aliens, lovely in its place, a threat elsewhere.
Like so many unwanted aliens, lovely in its place, a threat elsewhere.
Ah, you're referring to my days in the software industry when Old Mutual was my customer, Somerset West their data centre, the farms thereabout where each one had its own Cape brandy, and I took it back to Australia?
Great to hear about the rain, Mary Louise. I went to the newly re-opened Temperate House at Kew Gardens on Monday and looked at various plants from Australia, New Zealand and South Aftica and thought of you all. A lovely place to visit if you are ever in London.
Comments
I made friends with a possum the night before on a walk... He or she just stared at me from the base of a tree. Sorry they are destructive over there.
On other animals, I've had 2 days off for the black dog. Today has done me a world of good. Feel much brighter. Hurrah.
I like pohutukawa, but they don't belong here either, although they will grow if planted - which the council have done further up the road, close to the estuary. The Cathedral shop used to sell pohutukawa seeds to tourists and I discovered then that they are not welcome in some Pacific Islands where they will edge out the local trees.
I think one of the positive changes to the CBD here since the quakes has been the planting of native trees and flaxes. Not everyone agrees, of course. Historically Christchurch is said to be the most "English" of NZ cities, and the gardens reflected that. I would love to be around in 50 to 100years' time to see the landscape then. (Instead I'll just have to content myself with seeing the new Central Library Tuuranga*, when it opens in August/ September this year.
*The correct spelling of the name has a macron over the u - which I don't know how to do on here, so have reverted to the older, less correct version of using a double u to denote a long vowel sound.
Huia, we've got the same mixture of 'little England on the veld' and indigenous planting, plus imported aliens from Australia and New Zealand (flaxes and grasses among them) and I'd also like to be around in a century to see what it looks like then. Not just drought-tolerant planting but low ground covers are now popular choices. And community food gardens with indigenous berries and fruits.
Wellington Parks & Reserves are gradually replacing pohutukawa (not native to our area) with red rata but there are a lot of huge mature trees that I hope they keep.
And my beautiful graceful winter flowering kowhai, usually in bloom by the beginning of June, shows no sign of flowering. I hope it will start before too long. Maybe it's the strange season, or maybe it's having a growing year instead of a flowering one – I've seen pohutukawa doing that. Its tui comes to check it out and then disappears after singing a few bars of its song.
GG
May not miss the autumn leaf sweeping, but miss the tree.
Best wishes for rain and clement weather.
I feel like we're getting everyone else's rain. If it were up to me you could have it back. For the last few weeks its been intermittent fog and drizzle, which is temporarily lowering to the spirits, but nowhere near as bad as losing trees, which would be much more long term in the impact it made.
Wow - and I whinge about the very little we are getting in comparison - I feel ashamed of myself.
Here in Arizona we need and want it! Still only one day of rain in 2018.
(We'd prefer not getting a full year's worth at once, however. The ground is too baked dry to absorb it.)
GG
When I pay this next week from working account, that account will look sadly depleted. Fortunately I have another account.
Rain splashing down, very welcome.
Stamp duty is really lots of money for government. Payable before settlement. Am looking forward to move but not to unpacking. I gave a lot away, decluttered. We all have but three kitchens? Most lounge things will be bought in a couple of months. DIL and son have dining table and good chairs for 14. We all have beds. Lots to amalgamate but also a need to assess what we need
Oh, GG, I saw your post earlier. Yes, pohutukawa is a menace out here, threatening the indigenous and fragile Cape fynbos. Like so many unwanted aliens, lovely in its place, a threat elsewhere.
Amen!
Cause for celebration (and getting the washing machine going) - it's not raining here today.
Enjoy the rain MaryLouise.