The circle of life with trees, pruning, firewood and stumps

In another life I have recently come across a fantastic bunch of people who - I think - really LOVE nature and want to work with it.

http://www.australtree.com.au/

I reflect on this as I stoke my fire with a little bought redgum but a mountain of pruning from my own garden. I have managed to keep my trees and heating needs - more or less - in equilibrium for the last ten years. I moved into a quarter acre empty (gardenwise) block twenty years ago so all the trees here are ones that I've lovingly planted. But they need care.

This year the sunburst in the middle of the back yard needs about 200kg of wood to come off it, the plane about 200kg too. The gums at the back keep dropping stuff and probably don't need pruning, but they'll give me 100kg randomly, I expect. Fruit trees will give me 100kg. I probably still need to buy a tonne of redgum from my bud (ex student) Clayton Prater at Keelan grain and fodder.

The huge gum at the front, ETSA helped out because it was in their lines (phew) but I have a Eucalyptus Cinerea (Vicks Vaporub tree) that I'll just need to take down in a year or two because it must be 25m tall. Sadface. I planted it with love as a seedling 20 years ago. But everything has its time. And she'll make great firewood.

And that's how Austral Tree and Stump see it. I think they love trees, as I do. I love the circle of life. Tell that to the 20 year old plum tree that I'll probably take out this winter too. But there are two I planted two years ago next to it.

So I'm proud I got to meet these people this year, and I'm honored that friend (and once an MBA student) Lorraine Caruso felt comfortable introducing me.

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