Modern art meets Serrated Tussock

After the heat of late last week, the weekend has been quite pleasant so I have been out and around and about the block a tad.  A main job has been spraying stuff, which I have covered in a few posts. In previous outings I have used Zero (glyphosate) to kill off the Serrated Tussocks before the seeds let go.  Today I decided to use a different approach with Tussock (fluroproponate).  Again I added marker dye.

Unfortunately when I first pumped up the sprayer a seal failed and marker dye went everywhere.  A good example of why one should wear full body cover.

In a post of a couple of years back I opined that after a Summer of painting woodwork my strides looked like Jackson Pollocks cast-offs.  Same, same only different:  this is possibly what Lee Krasner's spouse would wear as a spray jacket.

I tried taking a selfie to show the whole effect, but it ended up looking like a coloured version of an out-take from Robert Mapplethorpe's X series.

 On the subject of Mr Mapplethorpe I have just finished reading "Just Kids" by Patti Smith.  It is about her life and particularly her relationship with Mapplethorpe.  It really is a most excellent book, earning a bouquet, both in terms of a fascinating life and good writing.  It also caused a lot of memories of our time in New York, where we visited many of the spots she mentions.  Highly recommended, although those who disapprove of alternative lifestyles may find it a tad confronting.  Update:  I have acquired a copy of her first album 'Horses' and it is really great.  It includes "Gloria" which gives an idea of where she is at.

The serrated tussock had got seeds formed and to avoid the risk of it setting while the herbicide got absorbed (it washes into the soil with 30mm of rain and is then absorbed) I trimmed it off with shears and bagged it for the pile.  Although the shears are good, this showed why grazing beasts can't handle the tussocks.

 I thought the pink dye looked rather attractive.  Perhaps more Richard Long than Christo (but I could see Jeanne-Claude doing her hair this colour).

 To our great surprise the Kunzea ericoides is beginning to flower - several weeks early.

On the invertebrate front, this Robber Fly (family Asilidae)seemed to have just emerged from its pupa.

 This small tree appeared to have a prominent infestation of scale insects.

This has been identified by Pete Cranston as "Gum tree scale - Eriococcus coriaceus.  Native, beneficial to everyone except the host tree but usually is not death-inducing, just uglifies."