trying to love capeweed

Capeweed colonises poor and disturbed ground, so it hardly needs saying, it flourishes here. Unfortunately, efforts to improve soil and watering only seem to speed it along! I may even have inadvertently encouraged it in the orchard by using sheep manure as part of compost to build up beds, as it likes soil rich in nitrates, as often found round sheep pens. 

lovely lovely gums

Our block includes a few introduced gums, presumably planted as ornamentals. These have flowered through much of winter, and are a joy to have. In permaculture terms, they serve a number of functions, including providing bird habitat (the wattlebirds, particularly, love them) and pollen (if not nectar) for bees at a time when food is quite scarce.