Nature's Ribbons

The worst drought in over a hundred years (in Australia) is finally broken.  The rains have transformed the parched and burnt landscape

ribbons of purple

 

to velvet strips of purples and greens.  The lush verbena (while not the farmer's friend) are nevertheless the lilies of the fields and now adorns the valley like a plush purple carpet.  The weeds know how to replenish the depleted soil with nitrogen.  When allowed to grow and complete their natural cycle, the soil is quickly enriched and then when planted, the crops grow well and thrive with little interference.  (Ref: 'Back from the Brink: How Australia's Landscape can be Saved' by Peter Andrews.)

The slides below show the 'before' and 'after' pictures of the transformation.

click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Slide 1/16 Next Ribbons of Purple and Green Sophie magpie with Emmy and Missy horses - will they see grass ever again

Ribbons of Purple and Green
There seems no end to worst drought in
over a hundred years
The few shoots from slight rains dry up quickly
Vicky and Maggie wonder what the season will bring for their brood
But a little more rain and nature bounces back
and the landscape begins to revive
as more rain falls the grass
turns lush
erasing all earlier traces of drought
Verbena that had survived the dry spell
now thrives.
The burnt earth springs into life
as ribbons of velvet green and purple to Hewey and Mum Polly
and the hare's delight
Blossoms all around

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