I live in Newcastle NSW and have a dreadful dilemma! My home (rental) is surrounded by 8-10m mature privet trees, pitosperums,(all outside, but over-hanging my yard), and a few monster eucalypts. I have planted grevilleas, wattles and other native bushes in the hope of providing better native environment and systematically removing the privets as aggressively as I can without making large treeless gaps(My neighbours are quite like-minded).
The big dilemma is that I have so many native parrots visiting my yard who all spend hours pouring over the privet trees, devouring the wretched berries.. right now there are up to 20 Easterns, 2 pair Kings, one pair of Crimsons, occasional Currawongs, figbirds and wattlebirds, but nothing seems to grow quickly enough, or prolifically enough, to allow me to get rid of the privets fast enough. I live only a block away from our nature reserve and knowing these birds are pooping the seeds in the reserve distresses me no-end!
I have noticed the Easterns "seem" to drop the seeds and just eat the berry flesh, (If anyone can verify this it would be a huge load off my mind!) I've tried a couple of lillipillies, but they don't much seem to like my yard.. Does anyone have any ideas???
Please help!
Hi Denis,
Thanks for you reply!
Fortunately my neighbours are all quite happy to remove them, and realistically, they all actually lean over so the majority is overhanging my yard- so legally I can do what I want.. But as they are so large they afford a great deal of shelter and privacy between our properties. The green-ness was what attracted me to this house, until I realised what it was!!!
We have been removing them branch by branch over a couple of years. A couple have been removed completely.
What I need is some suggestions of fast and large growing natives(or suitable non invading trees) which would ideally offer some desirable food to my beautiful visitors?
Any ideas?
N
Looking at species from your local area is a great place to start. Maybe get some books from the local library that will have a list and good descriptions of plants. I haven't had a good look at these sites but they may be a good starting point. Ask questions at a local native plant nursery. And check out the area around you and even ask some gardeners who have a nice native garden at the front.
http://www.austplants-nsw.org.au/
http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/index.aspx