When I was a child, we sang a song at school called "Give Me A Home Amongst The Gum Trees". I think most Australians of my vintage could belt out the words without much prompting. As a song it is on the daggy side. Not least of all because it was the theme song of Burke's Backyard for many years...
This evening I went for a walk with The Farmer and The Farmchildren and realised that I had my own home amongst the gum trees.
I love gum trees. They have a wonderful spare elegance. I am fortunate enough that whoever planned the original Farmhouse garden planted rows of them. I lie in bed at night and feel like the trees are standing guard around my home and family. I find it oddly comforting.
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| Side Lawn, The Farmhouse |
They line our driveways, making gorgeous arches that envelop you as you walk.
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The Farmer and The Farmchildren, Main Driveway
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Their spreading canopies are majestic and stand out, stark, against a turquoise summer sky.
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| Lone Gum Tree, Paddock On The Home Farm |
Close up you can see the subtle glimmery sheen of their trunk. And the beautiful lines of their branches.
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| Young Salmon Gum, Edge of House Paddock |
I love their smell. The smell of fresh young gum leaves when you crush them. The smell of dead leaves on the ground as you walk through them. The smell of blossom from a lemon scented gum as you walk underneath it, and hear the gentle whir of bees.
The Farmchildren play happily in their shade.
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| Treehouse Under The Trees |
The trees are part of our day to day existence on The Farm. Always there, always beautiful.
Addit: For anyone who is interested I have posted about Farmboy's special treehouse, seen in the last photo,
here.
For those of you who are not Australian, a gum tree is a common name for a eucalypt.
