[A Forest Tale] Quercus ilex - Jan

[Jan]

I bought these larger Holm Oaks as end-of-season sell-out plants from the local TAFE so no idea when they were started. I bought them as a curiosity and have been just growing them on for a few years until I found a use for them.

I have since struck cuttings from my prunings in September 21, 2020. I've had a very good success rate with them

The ones I started are ready to transplant now. Using my soft-drink bottle propagators you can see the roots through the clear plastic and there is soil enough to let them get substantial roots before needing to transplant.

Jan.

P.S. Looks like I'll have to do a bit of weeding. It's usually maiden hair fern that comes up. Everyone in the family has pots of it now

[Jan]

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As time goes on they're looking more like maiden hair fern to me.

[Jan]

This setting has been a "Problem Child" for a while now and I've been at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it.

I've had two of the four original Holm Oaks kick up their heels for no apparent reason.

I replaced one with an older cotoneaster to spill down the face of the cliff. I thought - you can't kill these, but, low and behold, although an established plant and introduced to the setting with minimal root disturbance it too promptly died!

More pondering.....

I finally decided to tear the setting apart, checked the soil for "critters" causing the issues and found nothing, so I repositioned the rock/cliff-face and reshuffled the planting, reinstalled the "steps" and moss and watered in with .

So far, so good. All are surviving. All plantings, holm oak, cotoneaster and dwarf pomegranates are Mediterranean species (necessary for my "Tale") with the accent of moss and small ferns (Aus native "Hard fern" and some of the Maiden Hair fern that germinated in the moss near the path.)

A couple of months have passed, everything seems to be thriving and have even survived the recent -7.8 degrees C frost.

So here they are....

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Jan.

[Jan]

And my "Tale",

His sandaled feet felt the cool of the stone steps he had climbed after his early morning sparing session with Patroclus. From the vantage point, flanked by the edge of the oak forest that crowned this high point on the island, he considered his choices as he watched the vessel riding in on the tide. Odysseus, King of Ithaca and envoy of Agamemnon, come to persuade him to join them, as expected.

The decision was already made; his Myrmidons had been called to make ready to sail for Troy. He’d still make Odysseus work hard to convince him, after all, he strongly disliked Agamemnon, was contemptuous of Menelaus, whose wife had run off with the Prince, Paris, and was indifferent to their goal of retrieving Helen and expanding Agamemnon’s conquests.

Thetis, his mother, had spoken against the venture, argued that if he stayed his destiny was to marry happily, have a family and live a long life, but if he chose to go, prophesy foretold that he would die young while achieving everlasting glory, and his name, Achilles, would live forever. Such prophesy was irresistible..