Home on the mountain at last, I was greeted by a heavily pruned garden ruled by wallabies.
Of course it was lovely to see the wallabies, but… they have been eating plants I had never expected to appeal to their taste buds. Strongly aromatic plants like rosemary and lavender have been stripped, and are regularly re-stripped. I had struck lots of lavender cuttings, thinking that I’d at least be able to have those in this new wallaby world.
They are not eating the bulbs, the jonquils or snowflakes — yet — and they can’t reach the wattles, so I do have some flowers. But they are now attacking my camellias, all of which are low enough to be totally munched into nothing but stems.
I had accepted that roses are no longer anything but sticks, except for the very tops of the taller shrub roses.
However, in one of these, the defoliation has revealed two nests, one small lichened cup and one large grassy tunnel. They are old ones, I assume, but I wonder if any tenants will return, now they are so exposed to predators?
Thanks Trev. I’m at 3000 feet here. And white ants aren’t much of an issue here – but a possum has invaded the ‘guest room’ roof. Mustn’t have heard that a quoll is back in residence!
Hi Sharyn, welcome home. This is what happens when your back is turned. Hope there has been no white ant activity? (Jonquils are my favourite) What’s the altitude at your place. Regards Trev.