Delicious descriptions from Down Under: Elizabeth Jolley on gums
May 25, 2011
Xanthorrhoea (once called Blackboys)
Just a little one today from Elizabeth Jolley‘s somewhat quirky memoir, Diary of a weekend farmer:
For some reason the great trees have been left standing and the bush, the blackboys and the wild flowers have not been cleared on our 5 acres. The wandoo trees very beautiful also jarrah and something called Black Butt? Red gum has white flowers? White gum which has red. Rough wild bark. Leaves fall all the time and new leaves come, stained bark. (from 11th November 1970)
Jolley learning the land …
2 Comments
leave one →
“Leaves fall all the time and new leaves come”… feels a little bit like life.
It does, doesn’t it?