The first weekend of NZ lockdown left plenty of time to annihilate the last of the path-lining agapanthus. I swapped tools from the spade to the grubber, swinging satisfyingly into the remaining clumps. The final set of roots was a the most tenacious—a multi-headed Hydra that needed dividing into two just to lift out of the ground.
After raking the root remnants, we planted two ‘Snow Flurry‘ mānuka/tea tree (leptospermum scoparium). They’re often chosen for making honey, but with a pair of trees sadly we may only sustain one bee. We chose it for its ability to thrive in dubious soil, and the clay here looked pretty intent on ruining anything I planted. Go, little mānuka, go.
We bark mulched, laid some rocks at the edge, and cleared the old drain alongside the path. It looks… good? I’m proud and a bit surprised at our efforts. Sprocket hasn’t even tried to excavate it all yet.
Agapanthus final boss 
Planting the mānuka 
Inspection by branch manager 
‘Snow flurry’ mānuka 
Rocks!
kōwhai 