Tuesday, 26th August, and we finally got to the swale in Brian Mayo Reserve. We cleared vegetation from the bases of the trees so that we could spray, and checked the plastic ties that were supporting the smaller plants that we planted a couple of years ago. Growth has been spectacular, and what was a fairly open space between the expressway and the swale is now a leafy canyon. It appears from the tyre tracks that motorcyclists enjoy weaving in and out among the trees. It's a good obstacle course for them.
This is what it looked like just after planting:
And here we are on Tuesday 26th August 2025:
And on Thursday following:
Here be Tygers!
Well, not just yet. On Thursday we went back to the swale beside the expressway and continued to clear the plants for the spray team. We finished the northern end of the planting, but there's still about 50 metres left at the southern end.
At the northern end there is an older planting put in by either the developer of the housing on the other side of the swale, or by the Council. It has grown enough to shade out most weeds and indicates what our planting will be like in a few years time. It's pretty well impenetrable tiger country. The motorcyclists' track makes a roundabout just in front of it. They can't get through it either.
