Stump Circle Archives - Warrawing Natives

seats of warrawing

There are a couple of spots around the place where there are seats to take a break. The first images in this post, show the first seat I put in, under the pepper tree, shaded and curtained.

And what can you see if you sit there? To the right, to the south, one view…

Other views to come, but meanwhile, another seat at the other side of the property follows..

In the other direction, at the end of the “North Triangle” another one in shade most of the day, under the casuarina that was already there – and when seated, a view to the west.

Sitting there, it’s “The Stump Circle” in front.

Looking to the left, towards the house, the plantings in the “North Triangle” can be appreciated..

Behind the seat, with the casuarina branches still overhead, the view to the northwest, across the next door property’s paddocks.. Obviously, with the long shadows, this was taken in the afternoon of an autumn day, with the bare track of a favourite kangie path on this side of the boundary fence..

The next image is of where I just put this folding chair at the top (east end) of the South Paddock, under the trees, so I could sit in a little green cave and look out.

But what can I see from there anyway – the next image shows one view to the left, with the boundary fence and a view towards the village of Harcourt.. teamed with some sticks to alert kangaroos that there is a fence there.

Not included here is a view towards the house, and down the length of the South Paddock. Maybe later. Meanwhile, a little further down the South Paddock, another old seat under a tree.

And here’s one of the views you can see if you were to sit there…

The next image is of another chair I’ve put under the spreading weed plum tree. The tree forms a canopy that looks inviting in the heat of summer, but not for long when all the weed plums fall on the ground underneath, and when the rabbits decide to dig a whole lot of holes. But It’s a nice place to rest in the middle of doing various gardening chores.

It’s just down from the house, so one of the views is towards the east and the front garden and the roof…

There are also seats on the deck outside “the folly”

You can see down the valley through the trees, or up towards the mountain, and overlook our next door neighbour’s paddocks..

View towards the house from the deck of the folly

View toward the west from the deck of the folly, and…

View from the folly to the north east over the paddocks next door.

Then, of course, there is the front porch with an array of seats. Probably the best place to watch the sunset – except in summer when it’s too hot to sit in the setting sun.

And in front, the cotoneaster hedge, and beyond that the valley and the western horizon…

So, some of the seats and views on Warrawing in late autumn 2024.

Acacias in flower early Spring 3: Acacia pycnantha

There are three Acacia pycnanthas on the property. All were planted as tubestock, donated by Bonnie Humphries from the local landcare group. One of the plants did not survive, but the three that did survive were planted at slightly different times, and at opposite ends of the property: one in the Stump Circle at the northern end, and two in the Upper South Paddock. The first images on the page are of the pycnantha in the Stump Circle, but according to my records, this one was planted later than the others, in April 2018. This location is more open than the place where the other two are planted, and there is no close competition from other trees and bushes as with the two in the Upper South Paddock.

A. pycnantha. Stump Circle. Planted April 2018. Image taken August 2022 looking south.

A. pycnantha. Stump Circle. Planted April 2018. Image taken August 2022 looking west.

The next image is of the pycnantha doing well in the Upper South paddock. The aspect is north facing, so lack of light is not an issue here, but there are several well established Grey Boxes behind it.

A. pycnantha. Upper South Paddock. Planted September 2017. Image taken August 2022

The final image in this post is of the pycnantha planted slightly further down in the South Paddock, one which has always struggled – several breakages and bitings from passing kangies or hares? and the close proximity to the Sloe Plums which are extremely weedy. This is the first year that it has flowered, and its form is rather leggy and very different from the other two.

A. pycnantha. Upper South Paddock. Planted September 2017. Image taken September 2022

The Stump Circle

Just some photos of the changes in the Stump Circle, where it’s dominated now by an Acacia pycnantha. Other natives growing there now inlcude an Eremophila, an E. lansdowneana, an Olearia, and a Philoteca.

The first photo was taken in February 2019, which doesn’t seem so long ago now, but it surprises me to see what it used to look like in comparison to what is looks like now (at time of posting, August 2022), and considering that I treated that patch as a type of afterthought.

Stump Circle, image taken February 2019, facing west

The next photo was taken a few months later, with the young A. pycnantha, Eremophila, and E. lansdowneana taking root. The house, and washing on the line can also be seen in the background. Obviously, winter rains had not started when this was taken. The larger tree looming behind the house on the left of the photo is a grand E. melliodora.

Stump Circle, image taken May 2019, facing south

Stump Circle on a rainy day in August 2022

In this photo, taken on a rainy day in early August 2022, the windmill is visible as a marker. The large tree to the right and behind the driveway is a self-seeded Acacia mearnsii. They grow fast. The spots of yellow on the ground show where I’ve tried to sporadically get rid of soursob, one of the banes of my life – apart from rabbits.

And here’s a closer up look at that A. pycnantha in flower in August 2022. Thanks Bonnie Humphreys of Connecting Country for the little tubestock..

Eucalyptus lansdowneana

Ever since we were taken to the Australian Arid Lands Botanical Gardens in Port Augusta, South Australia, and saw a young Eucalyptus lansdowneana in flower, I became a big fan of its fine leaves, its fine branches, its smooth fine trunk, and its very pretty reddish pink flowers. So, obviously I wanted to try to grown my own. And as soon as I could, I planted one in the Driveway Triangle, in a spot where I thought it might be able to withstand the dry, and the heat, and where it was on a slight rise, thus providing the excellent drainage it might require. This one was planted sometime in 2017, not so long after we moved here in November 2016.

Here it is on the driveway, behind the E. stowardii

first E. lansdowneana, planted Driveway Triangle 2017. Image taken April 2018

The next photos show this first planted E lansdowneana while it was in flower, in December 2021. The flowers came out in stages, with buds still on the tree.

E. lansdoneana planted 2017 close up of stems. image taken December 2021

E. lansdowneana, planted 2017 flowers. Image taken December 2021

The second E. lansdowneana was planted in April 2018, in what I call “The Stump Circle“, which is also part of the “North Triangle”. It did quite well there and flowered happily after only 2 years in the ground. This photo shows it in bud, the year after it first flowered.