When I bought my native kowhai from the gardening place about twenty years ago I was assured that it was a dwarf plant. This hasn't really been the case. The branches are up to my guttering and overhanging into my neightbours' property.
Now, for my two overseas readers, I must explain that the kowhai has the most beautiful yellow tubular-like flowers ever, and the New Zealand tui bird absolutely lives for gathering its nectar. For the past week or so a tui has flitted backwards and forwards between a tv aerial on the house across the road and my kowhai bush. The bird has been singing its little heart out with joy. Tuis only come to my kowhai during flowering times, about once a year.
But, I had decided to chop some branches. I didn't think I could wait until the tree stopped flowering in another week or two because the falling flowers were leaving a mess.
So I put on my hiking boots, rolled up the legs of my fleecy trouser pants, donned my thickest sweater, slipped on gardening gloves and, armed with two tree loppers, a rusty saw and some pruning shears, I marched across my muddy front lawn. The tui was sitting on its usual aerial, singing away.
I was halfway through sawing my first branch when that darned bird dive-bombed me!
I guess I know what it's like. If someone tried to block me from eating Bluff oysters in April and May, the only time of the year such oysters can be got, I would feel like dive-bombing someone too.
So it's one point to the tui, nil for Lorraine-who-doesn't-have-the-heart-to deprive an antsy little bird of his once a year treat.
above: my kowhai tree, plus the aerial. below, my tui
No comments:
Post a Comment