Cassia vs Cedar – Big Tree Decisions – 3rd Aug 2017

The “Plot Level” is just below the house to our western side.  It is dominated by two large trees that are present.

A ‘Leichardt Bean’ – Cassia brewsterii, and a ‘White Cedar’ – Melia azedarach

We love the Cassia, but the White Cedar is becoming ‘weedy’ as it drops hundreds of seeds each year and these appear in our gardens and veg plots.

The plot garden contains a mess of lantana, geraniums, jasmine, easter cassias and other junk.  Unfortunately most of this will have to stay in place until new plantings can secure the garden bank.

Our aim is to remove the large cedar, and establish new trees in it’s place.   The cedar will be removed ‘over time’ as it’s roots are currently holding the bank together.

We cleaned out the garden as best we could, and removed some of the weeds and junk that we could safely remove.

We planted 3 new trees. 2 x Cassia marksiana, and another Cassia brewsterii. This will give us 4 large trees on the southern edge of the plot level to help hold the bank in place and will give us excellent protection from the western sun when they are large enough to protect the house.

Blue Flax Lilys(Dianella caerulea) were planted in front of the trees, to continue the theme of the plot garden.  A number of our existing Oleanders were also cut down to < 1 m.  This again gives us an open view, but leaves the roots of the trees in place, so that the bank is protected from erosion.

The garden was mulched and the plants watered in.  We were really happy with the outcome and now can’t wait for the trees to grow.