The rain has not come. Trees in the neighborhood are dying. Death starts like this:
It ends like this. It seems to only take a week.
It's mostly pines, but Sequoias are dying, too.
The elegant Lemon Gums, Corymbia citriodora, have been dying off for years due to a lerp pest, but the drought has helped.
Another pine...
...and another...
If you remember this photo...
...I believe the previous dying pine, some 60 or 80 feet tall, is the youngster in the red box.
A weeping willow, which the homeowner did not know belongs in deep wet soil at the edge of a pond, not on an arid, sandstone slope. It is only a few years old.
All these are within a one or two minute walk of our home. It's grim. The dear puppies cheer me up.
Let us finish on this far happier note.
It ends like this. It seems to only take a week.
It's mostly pines, but Sequoias are dying, too.
The elegant Lemon Gums, Corymbia citriodora, have been dying off for years due to a lerp pest, but the drought has helped.
Another pine...
...and another...
If you remember this photo...
...I believe the previous dying pine, some 60 or 80 feet tall, is the youngster in the red box.
A weeping willow, which the homeowner did not know belongs in deep wet soil at the edge of a pond, not on an arid, sandstone slope. It is only a few years old.
All these are within a one or two minute walk of our home. It's grim. The dear puppies cheer me up.
Let us finish on this far happier note.
That makes me incredibly sad. I'm hoping for another March Miracle - or maybe a Fluid February.
ReplyDeleteFluid February AND March Miracle AND Agua April AND Muddy May. Lets hope big.
DeleteI'm feeling a little trepid about the drought too. Here in Sacramento they've already asked us to cut back our water 20%. That's not very hard to do this time of year when so many plants are dormant anyway but it's not going to be fun watching plants and trees die of thirst this summer when the temps soar.
ReplyDeleteIt's looking grim right now, isn't it? I'm investigating greywater systems.
DeleteThe loss of trees is very sad, you could do with some rain and so could I. The lemon gums are a beautiful tree, I love the fragrance of the leaves.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
The lemon gums are so elegant it makes it painful to watch them die. I've read your part of the planet is having fierce heat as well--hope we both get better weather soon...
DeleteRemind me never to complain about rain again.Hose will be pressed into service this weekend .
ReplyDeleteI'm reminding you now then.
DeleteWow, your post is the most vivid reminder yet how disastrous this drought will be.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the neighborhood Aloes and Agaves are just fine. That's something, right?
Delete