camellias and silk to remember

This post is in memory of a bit of Ballarat I loved. Sadly there doesn't seem to have been much local comment on its passing.

In order to modernise the golf course, build a new housing estate and widen the road into Ballarat the long, deep, shady avenue of beautiful old pine trees, alongside the Avenue of Honour, has been obliterated.

Huge old trees, mysterious little old sheds, deep pine-needle paths,

all the scent and colour that cooled summer walks and sheltered winter ones have gone in a few weeks.

The old pro store must have had the mossiest roof in Ballarat. Behind the store there are some doomed camellia bushes and I'm trying to grow some cuttings from them.

This is my nifty miniature cutting greenhouse made from a plastic raspberry container.

I did the Gardening Australia thing and dipped the cuttings in the best redgum honey.

Here are some of the camellia flowers that I picked when the dogs and I slipped behind the wrecker's fence.

I'm making a scarf for a friend from rescued pieces of fog-grey and camellia-coloured silk. She loved the old avenue too.