Lifting trees and making paper

Last Saturday the Garden Friends had a fascinating excursion to a local nursery which grows trees to sell all up and down the east coast of Australia. They have about 10,000 trees growing on the property and they lift each one out of the ground every year, then replant it in the same hole with extra fertiliser. This machine pictured is lifting an 8 metre high hoop pine tree which was then replanted. That is as big as the nursery lets the trees grow before they are sold, ideally they prefer to sell to landscapers when the trees are between 3 - 5 metres tall. When the trees are lifted a wire cage is placed in the ground and lined with hessian, then the tree is placed back in on top of this. When the tree reaches its new home, the cage and all is planted.

Sometimes the landscapers decide they don't want the trees immediately, even when they have ordered them - these trees below are waiting for the landscaper to say he is ready. They can live like that quite happily for a month or two, provided it is not the middle of summer. All very fascinating.

After this excursion was out of the way, and another concert the next day, I finally had time to make a silk paper book cover for my son's partner who has a birthday this weekend. Iwas getting a bit panicked as I had to have it sent by Monday to make sure it reached Canberra by Friday.

I am pretty chuffed with this piece of silk which I dyed using Landscape dyes bought when I was at the Wrapt in Rocky Forum. I had never heard of them before Jacinta showed us what to do with them. I only took 20 minutes from starting to measure out the powder to hanging the silk on the line to dry!!! I used the microwave and it worked beautifully. I can't wait to do some more experimenting.

I hope this book cover fits, Nat has a ring binder she is keeping all the bits and pieces in while they are planning a wedding for the end of next year - this should look a bit more attractive than a black cover I hope. Again I used some techniques I learnt at the Forum, but I should have taken more extensive notes, or done more practising as soon as I came home............sound familiar to anyone?

We are in the middle of another large rain event here, absolutely revolting weather to be outside in, and unfortunately I had to make three trips out today, but we are now safely tucked up inside for the night. There were several predictions about this rain, from several long range forecasters in different parts of the country and also from the weather bureau, with estimates ranging from 50 - 500 mm for the amount of rain. I can tell you, many of the flood victims from last February have been packing death, hoping the same thing is not happening all over again. So far, we have had about 60 mm I think, but over a 24 hour period. Now we have a strong wind as well, but the garden is loving it.

I am off to bed to snuggle down and listen to the rain from there.