Ben Explores the Gully Further

Ben Creighton has been checking out the Gully Garden.

One day he will build his Tiny House on the bank of the Gully.

And this will be Ben's front garden

Ben Creighton Builds his Garden

Ben Creighton has been staying here with grandparents Mike and Suzanne.

He planted Callistemon in the Gully Garden.

One day Ben will build himself a Tiny House next to the Gully Garden. 

Ben Braves the Flood

Ben Creighton has spent time with his grandmother Suzanne Creighton at The Drip during the floods. He planted a number of bottlebrushes in The Gully Garden and decided that this area is where he would like to build Ben's Hut one day.

He helped clean out piles of sand and debris that had washed from the gully into the watercourse near the house during the big flood.

 

And he got very wet.

Floods

This picture of the drive in front of the house is the latest from Peter Marshall showing the state of The Drip during the ongoing floods.

It is great to see that the massive earthworks we did over a period of  many years have succeeded in diverting the flow of water around the main housing compound and that we are relalativly unaffected by what would otherwise have been a catastrophic inundation.

Phew!!

Disaster Zone

Peter Marshall, Head Gardener at The Drip,  took this picture of the damage done to The Drip Lane by the  floods besetting the entire Mudgee region.  We are located at the highest point of western watershed with the Great Divide forming our back boundary and even up here the amount of runoff is vast.  The Drip has become a torrent.
 

Benign Neglect

With record rainfall this season it is proving impossible to keep up with weeding. And it doesn't matter one bit.  The exuberant wildness of the cottage garden right now, where self seeded herbs and annuals are jostling for space amongst the more permanent perennials and bulbs, is a daily source of delight and surprise.  

Aran and Julia create a Sanctuary

Aran Creighton and his wife Julia have spent time here in Mudgee planting baby Ironbark trees along  The Drip Lane Walk in area that had been badly degraded and damaged by the clearing of native vegetation since Eurpoean settlement.

This area is now being revegetated with specific varieties of trees and shrubs that will provide a food source for the endangered Regent Honey Eater, a species threatened by habitat destruction.

The area planted  by Aran and Julia is directly opposite The Nuttery and The Caretakers Cottage. One day we hope to see Aran and Julia spending significant amounts of time in an improved house that could be built in that part of the property. With Council approval for two dwellings already in place this valley property is ideally set up to accommodate our  two families .... the Poolmans and the Creightons together accepting custodial responsibility for The Drip into the future.