The Oak in the Centre of The Horse Paddock

The oak tree in the centre of The Horse Paddock was planted by Jenny Thompson and Peter Barley in 1994. Jenny and Peter have been regular visitors over the years, providing valued moral support as we set about the sometimes daunting task of making The Drip what it is today.

The display of autumn colour in The Horse Paddock begins in April. When this photograph was taken in March, the arboretum of deciduous trees and conifers was still predominantly midsummer green.

Possums have been a big problem in recent years,  completely stripping many trees of their leaves.  This has lead to the death of some trees on the property. It seems that Brush Tail Possums find all the species of oaks and most fruit and nut trees irresistible. The tin sleeve around the trunk of this oak, although ugly, has been very effective in stopping the possums from getting into this tree and potentially destroying it. We are now protecting our trees with a less obtrusive sleeve made from clear acrylic, which is an expensive and time consuming process but necessary if we wish to grow certain introduced species here.