GOOD TREES – BAD TREES/ 3
When we purchased this farm in 1992 the small cottage that was to become our home and which was later extended to provide guest accommodation had no garden but was surrounded by native Eucalyptus, wattle and T-trees. The house had been constructed in the midst of a clump of Eucalyptus trees. We brought in a bulldozer to clear ground for our guest wing and at the same time thinned the trees on our northern side to allow in more winter sunlight and the establishment of gardens. We allowed the tall Eucalyptus trees at the front of our house (the eastern side) to remain. I insisted on the total removal of all the trees on our western side because I knew that Granite Belt storms came from the west and I saw those trees as a possible threat to our home. Sure enough the first vicious storm we had came from that direction in 1994 and threw the roof of our cold room onto the roof of our house. Plus it belted us with hail. But no, no tree came crashing onto our roof.
Next, in 2001 a small tornado approached from the west but once more our house suffered no damage although five large Eucalyptus trees in our front garden were broken and tossed across our front fence and car shed, damaging both. Fortunately our car was not at home as I had taken two WWOOF girls on an outing. Only Eberhard witnessed the devastation as it happened. I addition to destroying five Eucalyptus trees in our front garden that storm smashed five similar trees outside our front garden. This tornado came like a bouncing ball, destroying those ten trees and then bouncing off to tear a roof from a shed near Glen Aplin. The damage to our garden was immense and I had to establish another garden, minus the advantage of shade trees. My friends tried to offer me consolation for the loss of my beautiful garden, saying, “See it as a challenge.” I needed time to grieve for my loss.
Patches on a tree trunk
By 2005 it was only tree trunks like the one above that revealed where once shady trees had sheltered our front garden. By 2010 these stumps have been totally covered by green vines or hidden by spreading conifers and no one now visiting our garden is aware of the damage it experienced.
In 1994 I planted Radiata pine trees along our northern garden boundary, where already there were a several eucalyptus trees. These quick growing pines soon reached the height of the neigbouring Eucalyptus trees. Between these trees and the house I established a number of deciduous, Northern Hemisphere trees. My aim was climate control. Close to our northern veranda I placed low growing conifers or deciduous trees. Behind them I positioned the taller growing deciduous trees. Finally, against the fence I grew an evergreen hedge of cotoneaster shrubs under the taller Eucalyptus and Radiata pines. As climate control this provided our garden and house with cool green and shady growth during the summer months. Then as autumn arrived we enjoyed the colour presented by the leaves of the elm, oak, ash and maple trees. Following leaf drop, the winter sunshine poured onto our northern veranda.
I was happy with this portion of my garden until February 2008, when another narrow tornado like storm came from the north. These little tornadoes twist and break trees in their path, sometimes leaving a trail for a mile or two.
February storm
This shocked me. As I considered the broken Ironbark Eucalyptus trees along our entrance road and the two Radiata pine trees thrown onto our Remembrance Field, I realized that had the tornado struck our garden immediately to the north of our house, several Eucalyptus and Radiata pine trees could have fallen across our garden, breaking down the deciduous trees and damaging our house.
Downed Radiata pine trees
I knew we were no longer safe in thinking that storms only approached from the west. I decided to eliminate the risk.
McNicholl Brothers had come with their a crane and excavator to remove the broken trees from our garden in 2001, so I asked them to remove the trees threatening our house, but to try to do it without damaging the garden.
Removing Radiata pines
While one man manipulated the excavator his brother stood in the bucket to be raised high into the tree where he applied a chain around the trunk of the tree and partially cut the wood with a chainsaw. He would descend and the arms of the excavator would reach up and grip the tree trunk. As the machine reversed the tree would break and be lifted up and over our fence and shrubs. In the same way lower pieces of the tree trunk were removed.
Tall eucalytus tree
Next to be removed was this tall Eucalyptus tree on the lower side of our gate way.
The excavator was then shifted to the other side of the gate to remove two more Radiata pine trees and a large Peppermint gum.
Three more trees removed
This completed the removal of the trees along the northern fence, but there were still trees to be taken from the area between the fence and the house.
Internal trees
Fallen giant
Chainsaw work
Open view
Wildflowers, wilderness and wine
The men then had to remove the largest of all the trees, a huge Eucalyptus that towered over the garden, but was too far from the fence for them to lop with the chainsaw.
I was amazed by how neatly they felled that tree to drop along a pathway they had already cleared of trees, so that only one of the deciduous trees, a Scarlet Ash, lost a branch.
Finally the men using chainsaws cut the big log into segments and lifted it over the fence with the jaws of the excavator.
In recent years many new people have moved to live on the Granite Belt, delighted that they can construct their homes in a wilderness setting amongst granite boulders and well grown Eucalyptus trees. I am concerned that such new residents see these trees as good trees, without recognizing they could be dangerous trees, exposing their homes to damage from wind storms or the horror of a bushfire.
In my book Wildflowers, wilderness and wine I recount watching a bushfire roar through the tree covered hills of the Granite Belt. See http://www.australia-book.com.au to read more.
I love trees and have been fascinated by them since childhoold. I remember giving a lecturette on the subject of Eucalyptus trees when at the Yamsion primary school. I recognise people should not build their homes in dangerous locations. Presently I am sharing with you for free chapters of another book I have written called The Forgotten Ones where I discover the beautiful forests of Germany. http://fayhelwigauthor.com
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