Hey old Rebel and Roger, Knew you wouldn't be able to resist the native veg. topic Lloyd. Unsure if it is because I come from Canada, or just the beauty and uniqueness of Australian flora, but I find it very difficult to plant anything but native flora. Just can't beat the yellow wattle, the red bottle brushes, the grevilleas in their many forms, I could fill this page with the unique species of this continent. I agree whole heartedly that the sheep should go, along with the cattle,cats, pigs, goats, another list could be filled of introduced spp.
Because we want something,is the very thinking that got this continent into the ecological stress it now contends with. As much as I love the colours of Autumn in the European and north American trees, the beauty, and life that is supported by native vegetation far outweighs any colour seen in fall. Here I must admit that I do grow a few introduced species, healing herbs, apples, pears, almonds, olives, apricots, plums, raspberries and nashi. There are still times I question them. Lloyd when you speak of what has been done to this land I recall a photo in an article by J> Jenkins; 2 children standing on the ground and behind them is the standing root structure of a tree, the roots go above their heads and is an indicator of the amount of top soil that has blown away. Almost 2 metres in this photo taken in 1900. Ecologically LLoyd it is as Rachel Carson said; "...that all life of the planet is interrelated, that each species has its own ties to others, and that all are related to earth." The unique life, not the introduced life (sheep, cattle, humans) on this continent depends on the native vegetation. We are still discovering new species, two in my region in the last 2 years, with both being listed endangered immediately. All a bit late now as the slopes to this area are planted in Radata Pine. Native veg. will remove us from the edge. L&L Liz
