Going Weeding

While wandering the block yesterday I noticed that St John's Wort was beginning to appear in the usual places.  Since it isn't a protected species in Carwoola (which it appears to be in the ACT, judging by the lack of effort to control it their) I decided to do something about it.

As the plants were fairly widely spaced I decided that spraying with glyphosate was not a solution since that would just kill everything and allow other weeds to get established.  As there are quite a few rock outcrops the use of my mower was contra-indicated and I didn't feel like schlepping my brush cutter up there.  So the go was my kwanja (also known as a 'bent panga') despite the weeds being spread over close to a hectare.  

Know they enemy:
 These two leaf beetles were dining well and I left them to their work.
One might hope that the beetles would damage the wort, but this doesn't seem to be the case.  Even heavy infestations of beetle appear not to control it.

As well as the wort the wet Winter seems to have got the Verbascum growing (un)well.  This image shows the root system: if just ripped off at ground level the plants seem to sprout again from the roots.
 On my way up to the top paddock I noticed some Hymenochilus, which on closer examination appear to be H. bicolor, which is rather unusual on our block.
 The top paddock is getting well endowed with Xerochrysum viscosum.

 A very small white plant is Poranthera microphylla.
 Ibid, but mauve rather than white, is Vittadinia muelleri.
 As I swished the kwanja a small reptile scuttled away.  I followed it to get a photo and suddenly found my trousers had got a bit heavier.
 Yes, it is a Mountain Dragon - or in this case a Mounting Dragon.
 Who's a pretty boy (or girl - I didn't investigate that closely).

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