One of my beloved tree banners came down a while back, so I have laundered it and decided to re-apply it. The leaf print border has faded very much over the months it has spent in the full sun and weather, but the eucalyptus dyed silk thread I used to stitch the lettering onto it has remained a good strong colour.
As I stood holding string, arms spread wide, I looked up in appreciation of the tree and realised we had supervision, or at least, company!
One of the women who was part of the government department managing the infrastructure project that took hundreds of trees from our neighbourhood organised dozens of bird boxes. She negotiated a collaboration between primary school children, who painted the boxes (this one has a frog on it) and scientists, who are studying the birds in our area by checking on these boxes (hence the number on its base).
It looks like these galahs have been taking advantage of her foresight and dedication. I had noticed galahs in our neighbourhood, and an even more unusual pair of yellow tailed black cockatoos who have been passing through, but did not realise these galahs might have taken up residence here. Wonderful!
Another part of what has happened in the aftermath is the roll out of revegetation. There is an area nearby where lots of plants have gone in, but at critical times, like when the farmer’s market is operating, cars park on the smaller plants or simply ignore the larger ones and bend them over. Last week someone dumped garden waste on two more. I have collected all the garden waste over two visits and the plants have survived that… but we don’t want any more to die. In fact, as you know, we’ve been adding to the existing stock, quietly…
So this week I decided to get onto the project. I pulled out the bunting I’d used to protect my plantings in another spot during the royal show, ironed and mended, and when we had fellow plant lovers visiting–all of us went down with tools and gloves and created what I hope will be a friendly reminder that this is a garden and not a parking lot. The ‘no standing’ signs in the next street over haven’t stopped people parking there… but hopefully this will help some of the low growing plants survive to get big enough to be visible from a car and let people know the neighbourhood cares for this patch.
Local & Bespoke 
a wonderful ad for eucalyptus dyes …. and what awful behaviour, driving over your plantings. you have so much patience.
LikeLike
Thanks, Jane! I am not sure that I really have a lot of patience… it is more a case of dogged determination. And, I have been cheered by the successes we have achieved in some parts of the neighbourhood. It gives me a longer term perspective, which every social change project needs, in my opinion!
LikeLike
what a wonderful idea…the bunting ribbon! Funny that bird giving you the eye.
LikeLike
It is funny, isn’t it? Thanks for your encouragement!
LikeLike
Oy mate, wotcha doin down there? Ay? Ay?
LikeLike
Oh, that made me laugh out loud! Up there with those seagulls in Finding Nemo, ‘Mine! Mine! Mine!’
LikeLike
Go the bunting brigade! Great idea and more positive than signs that no one’s taking notice of.
LikeLike
Thanks, Leonie! All encouragement gratefully accepted!
LikeLike
I’m sure they’re approving of what you’re doing! Can you put some larger stones or bricks or wood as a border around the area? Might discourage the car-idiots since it may cause damage if driven over…? Or even make a small “fence” out of sticks and string…I did that onn the street side of a tree and flower bed that people insisted on parking next to: throwing the car doors into the tree and tromping all over the plantings. Ignoring the fact that they could move the car down half a length and be clear of the bed….
LikeLike
Good on you for protecting those plants… I have been planning to call the council and suggest this strategy to them. It’s a big enough area that I think it would take some substantial rocks to do the job. I just need to wait until I can bear to speak with them again, since my last several calls have been asking when the promised plantings would go in!
LikeLike