DRAMATIC SEASONAL CHANGE
One of the joys of living at Glen Aplin on the Granite Belt is that due to the cool mountain climate this district experiences the four seasons of winter, spring, summer and autumn. Much of Queensland only knows the hot, humid wet season of summer and the warm dry season of winter.
In 1990 when I visited Europe in the early spring as the snow was melting I witnessed the dramatic change as tulips and pansies flowered in April just as the fruiting cherry and apple trees burst into blossom. in May they were followed by the lilac, phingst rosen and climbing red roses.
When we moved to live here at Glen Aplin in 1992 I realised I could grow these same flowers. I was agreeably surprised at how rapidly, just like I had seen in Europe, spring arrived and dramatically changed the appearance of my garden.
These photos taken in August, when the decision was made to remove large eucalyptus trees, and photos taken of the same scenes now reveal the changes.
Last month of winter at Das Helwig Haus B&B 2008
The Remembrance Field had been cultivated at the end of June. The Flanders poppies had germinated but were merely a green tinge across the soil due to the dry and frosty conditions throughout July and August.
We had made the decision to bring in heavy equipment – a large excavator on tracks, with a bucket in which a man could be raised to tie chains to the branches of these eucalyptus trees. With a chainsaw the branches and tree trunks were cut to then be swung out and dropped onto the field.
The excavator claws then gripped these heavy lengths of timber and the machine clanked away to drop them in heaps off the field, where once more a chain saw could be used to cut wood into rounds, later to be split for firewood.
Now for the “WOW” factor.
Ten weeks later, admire the view.
The front view of the house without the towering eucalyptus trees.
What a difference a few weeks can make. The soil warms, the hours of sunlight increase and suddenly the spring season arrives in a blaze of colour.
Again, I’ll show you a ‘before’ photo. The excavator was gathering up the tree branches previously dropped on the field.
Positioned outside the fence, the excavator removed the trees from within the garden.
Now, look at the lush greenery after the deciduous shrubs have leafed out and the flowers have begun to bloom. As in Germany, climbing red roses have a prominent place in my spring garden, clinging to the veranda or hanging over the fence.
The view from the veranda
When I took this photograph the men were working to remove these trees overhanging the car parking ground outside the front gate.
The excavator and chainsaw man outside the front gate.
The tracks of the excavator moving backwards and forwards churned up the surface of this area. Later I had two Korean wwoofer men resurface the car park with barrow loads of decomposed granite and rake it level. Now, when guests approach our front gate there is no evidence of the trauma this spot experienced in August.
Red Cavalcade rose and catmint.
First impressions are always important. This was the view that greeted eight Bed and Breakfast guests when they arrived this morning to spend the weekend at Das Helwig Haus B&B.
