Bushcare Hewitts Creek

 Minor jobs  Such as: instal more protectors for recent plantings, especially along "Rabbit Ridge"/ Stony Road more Morning Glory is climbing trees both sides of the cycleway. Its also expanding again at the back of the Blady Grass. Over at Woodlands Ck we could spread out some of the flood wrack & wash down & straighten up the "browned off" plantings Coolatai clumps by Woody Ck have been isolated by the flood & are ripe for being pulled/dug out Blackberry & Crofton behind Steve's Beach require removal/ cut &paint ...and then there is Lisa's site, Andrew's Mistake & the rest of Manifest Destiny  

Priorities: Montbretia - look for the orange flowers Lilies are flowering, get flowers before they seed, bulbs where you can. McKellar Glade is out of control - get Polygala now in purple and white flower Big Fleabanes along the Cycleway in grassy area - need to bag seeds & flowers Turkey Rhubarb flourishing around three small sandpaper figs west of the Cycleway, 40m south of the bridge.  Polygala Vulgaris

 This week We'll put in the first hour out in the open removing more Honeysuckle , Fleabane, Lilies & Stonecrop . Also a dry week is forecast so Aquarians will be needed at Woodlands Ck.   Second hour we should retreat to The Ditch where choppers can cut loose on Lantana & Cassia , and, over in Manifest Destiny weeders can pick their pet weed & remove it. I put in a plant order last week but it was temporarily lost so it won't arrive until later this week. We'll see what is delivered and whether we get any rain but the order was mostly to fill in some gaps from expired Coast Wattles . 2022 Water, water Considerable water still lying east of the Cycleway, but west of the Blady grass , both edges of the cycleway and the Old Forest all require work; mainly freeing up plantings, Lily extraction and another outbreak of Coolatai .    Some chopping/cutting & painting opportunities.

2023 Planting We have a full tray to plant along or near the Stony Rd and/or in Manifest Destiny . Some tubestock may have to wait a week or so. We need to clear more planting space at Manifest Destiny by removing cardboard We need to chop more Cassia at both sites. Transplant some Sandpaper Figs from the ditch to Manifest Destiny central. Weather should be cool, sunny with a bit of wind. 3 of the 5 activities will need bags.  Hopefully some adventurous soul will take home some produce to attempt the following: According to Diego Bonetto's "EAT WEEDS" , Cobblers Pegs or Bidens pilosa can be distilled in gin or used in a salsa verde or pesto, in pasta sauce, stir fries or noodle salad. "The flavour is strong & complex, at first resin & grass but then at the back palate, has sage & oregano tones".  He, Diego, has a herbalist friend who drinks a daily anti-bacterial tea brewed from fresh & dried leaves of Bidens pilosa. And its always available...

Superb Weeding Conditions  Our most recent plantings need weed removal and Japanese Honeysuckle nearby has to be controlled. There is a second large Moth Vine to be exterminated, MG is on the march and Lilies are shooting most places which means.....work for all! Weather should be cool & kind but low areas remain wet.  The Blady Grass is weed central still, with Purpletop everywhere,+ Lilies + Nightshade & Bidens .  Lily Diggers should be gainfully employed & Turkey chasers could be richly rewarded.