Fire, Keep out of my Garden


The sun is beating down without mercy. Looking out the window of the sun-room, I see a haze of smoke. The fire that was blazing in the wooded hills of Middleton two days ago, fiercely and rapidly moving, is extinguished. Four houses are burnt out skeletons, the photographs and the personal possessions reduced to handfuls of black cinders. Only memories remain. First to arrive were the gale force winds, bringing down the wires connecting our homes to electricity and communications. Is that how the fire started? Or was it some crazy idiots who find excitement from the misery of others? There are forty-five bush fires in Tasmania at the moment, contained by the heroic actions of the fire fighters, both professional and volunteer. This tragic scenario is being repeated all along the Eastern shores of Australia. And we all hold our breaths waiting for the dawn because the forecast is for similar weather conditions - gale force winds and soaring temperatures will be with us tomorrow.



Arriving at "Kibbenjelok" this afternoon at our country property, I scurried through the garden like a mouse inspecting his burrow, heart pounding, but prepared to be philosophical at losses from wind damage. Two and a half trees were upended from the side of the driveway, all natives and growing in very poor soil conditions. These seem to be the only casualties. The rest of the garden is growing and growing and growing and condems this gardener for being so greedy and over planting. When events settle to routine again, I will have to learn to be ruthless and resolute. I will turn myself into 'Gay the Ripper' and tear out the seedlings that have rushed to reach their maturity. I will cut down those plants that I do not love as much as the others and take a look [and try to act] at the plants that are too close to the house. The latter are major hazards in bush fire conditions. And now my fickle mind is whispering, "Not the Peruvian National Flower, Cantua buxifolia , the crimson-red tubular flowers are so beautiful nodding to me through the glass of the sun-room window. No, not that, it needs the warmth and protection of the wall of the house. And, please not the three white Camellias growing nearby. Surely their glossy green leaves are fire retardant. Also, the Wisterias growing along the verandah have to stay." Anyhow, all this determined carnage should take place in Autumn, in case I have to shift a plant to another place. Perhaps we could put in an overhead walkway for visitors to get around the garden. This is an excellent place to view a garden scene. Climb your roofs to take the best photograph of the garden vista.

The copyright of the article Fire, Keep out of my Garden in Tasmanian Gardening is owned by Gay Klok. Permission to republish Fire, Keep out of my Garden in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Go To Page: 1 2 3

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic