Bushcare Hewitts Creek

Flanagans Crk - 5th week (every month) Water recent plantings Rubbish collection after weekend Roll up Morning glory regrowth Lantana regrowth Attack asparagus if no spraying has been done, use tie-up technique to prepare for spraying Avoid relocation Bower bird bower Choppers into third coop 2024 Likely events Montbretia is shooting. Crofton and Fireweed are flowering. Turkey Rhubarb will soon flower.

News & New Management  Lt McLeod will have the clipboard next 2 or 3 Mondays. Repair 2 of our fences, one at the cycleway bend and the other at the triangle up the dirt track (protecting the Sandpaper fig ). Pull down broken limbs above dirt track, if possible. Weed  Privet , Cassia ,  Crofton  weed and Cape ivy at Lisas site and  Manifest Destiny Choppers could attack  Cassia  and Asparagus along the north side of the ditch. Regrowth Madeira vine towards the creek at  Manifest Destiny . Woodland Crk Honeysuckle , pull out and string up. 2024 Likely events As well as the Crofton, Fireweed and Montbretia shooting and flowering, if it rains, even average amount, there will be plenty to do. Turkey Rhubarb will soon flower. 2023 Back to Spring There were a lot of Croftons in flower last week along the Cycleway so it would be good to get them first up. There are also a few small scale weeding jobs waiting, including renewed acquaintance with...

Once More Unto the Beach We have only 20 tubestock to plant towards the creek end so much of our time will be devoted to ASPARAGUS ! Flanagans creek has turned south for 80 m on reaching the beach, leaving a 2m sand cliff just east of the vegetation. WCC had roped off the access paths last Friday.  The Bower has been re-sited by Mr Satin, now a bit further east & only visible to bending bottle collectors. I also saw a basking Eastern  Water Dragon & 2 beautiful male Variegated Wrens with their extended family.   2024 You'll never weed alone Task sheet to come. Crofton and Fireweed will flower, Montbretia will shoot. 2023 Watering, snakes & Heat Warning The priority will be watering from Woodlands Ck of nearby plantings, also some water for our plantings either side of the track. The forecast is for it to climb to 27-28 degrees by 11am so the main focus will be shady work in Manifest Destiny -- some cutting & painting, some Cape Ivy ; Cassia weeding an...

Day of the Silent  Lilies under the Casuarinas cover,   Polygalas &  Crofton and Scotch Thistles .  Also snip off emergent Honeysuckle along the Cycleway. Woodlands creek  offers employment against the usual suspects, as does McKellar Glade for the visually astute. Too many Tuckeroos are prospering at both sites, & behind the Blady Grass , so some thinning out should begin. If numbers suffice Lisa's site needs more work around the Crinum Lilies & along the ditch Asparagus is away & running. Madeira fiends can indulge themselves over by the creek in  Manifest Destiny. Warm & windy tomorrow so make sure you have water.  2024 Saws & Buckets Some sizable Casuarina branches are down at Woodlands Ck and others at Hewitts Ck around from Maccas Bend and just south of the Dirt Track.   There is hope of rain on Thursday but our recent plantings could do with a drink just in case. Again, Woodlands Ck water is fine but we co...

Springing back  We have inserted an experimental Swamp Banksia into Manifest Destiny and there are still 4 or 5 other sapling trees needing protection so if anyone has some spare garden stakes/posts, we still have enough wire to fence them.  On offer: Velcro plant has reappeared beside cycleway, up near the bend creek edge & back of beach have junk deposits from our throw-away society some minor Turkey Rhubarb, Asparagus & Passionfruit growth along creek edge The full weed range on offer in Manifest Destiny with conditions ideal for extraction & some fallen timber cutting up for the sawyers a check along Stony Road & Woodlands Ck   2022   There has been further Deer damage, done this time to three native Hibiscus - they need a protective guard- and we lost an Illawarra Flame and a Bleeding Heart just across the ditch on Lisa's Site. Cut them off below damage and they may re-shoot.

Springing back  We have inserted an experimental Swamp Banksia into Manifest Destiny and there are still 4 or 5 other sapling trees needing protection so if anyone has some spare garden stakes/posts, we still have enough wire to fence them.  On offer: Velcro plant has reappeared beside cycleway, up near the bend creek edge & back of beach have junk deposits from our throw-away society some minor Turkey Rhubarb, Asparagus & Passionfruit growth along creek edge The full weed range on offer in Manifest Destiny with conditions ideal for extraction & some fallen timber cutting up for the sawyers a check along Stony Road & Woodlands Ck   2024 Founding Anniversary picnic Bushcaring to be done: Watering our very (& less) recent plantings there are 3 sizable branches down so sawyers will be welcome Bob will need a pioneering assistant as he forges a track from Manifest Destiny to Hewitts Ck Lilies are trying to pop up but are being chewed off by rabbit...

Back To Flanagans The low areas at Hewitts Crk are still under water & there is mud elsewhere. Flanagans will be considerably drier with its sand base. Choppers & Morning Glory gleaners can proceed to cleanse more of Coupe 2 while Asparagites continue their slow push south. Judging by McCauleys Beach there may also be some beach cleaning required. We'll bring extra bags.  Weed of the week Ehrharta erecta The species has been used for birdseed, and in ecological restoration such as dune stabilization. However, it has become an invasive weed in many parts of the world. It flowers and seeds throughout the year, and its seeds germinate rapidly, forming new plants in only a few weeks. This weed is so widespread that all we can do is remove the visible seeds and clear away any of it that is in competion with native plants. 2024 Planting tomorrow  Most of the sites will be towards Woodlands Ck where salt water isn't a problem so if we all bring a watering can/bottle refills...