the magic marmalade tree
WORDS KELLY PUMMEROY
The desperate call from Bec went out. Another tree
disaster was about to unfold…
A
fter the heartache of the
majestic Norfolk pine
being cut down, Bec
refused to allow another
established part of Daisy’s garden
to become a casualty.
“There’s a small orange tree
on one side of the garden, right
where all the coming and going
happens,” says Bec. “But I’m not
letting it get ripped out. I’m still
mad about the Norfolk pine!”
Johno wasn’t too impressed
by the prospect of another tree
debacle.
“The scaffolding was due to go
up the very next day. I couldn’t
hold up the progress for hours to
sort out another tree…” he says.
“We only had three to four
hours at best to move it – the
bulldozers were ready to go. I was
so relieved that my call for help
was answered so quickly!” laughs
Bec.
Horticulturist Jill Roberts
and Graham Stoneman, from
Stoneman’s Garden Centre, took
the clarion call and within the hour
they had arrived on site equipped
to rescue Daisy’s orange tree,
which had begun to show signs of
long term neglect.
“It was looking stressed and
was covered in scale and sooty
mould,” explained Graham. “And
it was on a bit of a lean, with
branches growing towards the sun
and competing for light. We had
to prune it right back.”
“It will look a bit fugly for a
while,” Jill comforted a slightly
alarmed Bec. “But if we find a
sunny position for it and if it’s well
cared for, it could live for 50 years
or more.”
Graham confirmed that the
relocation of the tree was
delicate.
“It was a pretty tricky job, we
had a digger and four or five guys
on site to physically lift it,” he
said.
Seaweed fertiliser, along with
fruit and citrus food, nourished
the soil in readiness for the
replanting. It’s rare in Tasmania
to see an orange tree thriving
and bearing prolific amounts
of mature fruit. Graham made
the most of it by tucking into an
orange on site and declared the
fruit to be outstanding. “It was
lovely – lovely sweet fruit.”
“Apparently Daisy’s marmalade
was a bit of a family treasure!“
Bec says. “I really hope it survives
– apparently there’s about a forty
per cent chance it will. Not great
odds, but at least I can say we
tried.”
In the twenty-five years Graham
has been in the gardening game
he has seen a gradual return to
the days of old.
“Daisy’s generation would focus
completely upon an edible garden
and had very definite ideas about
the time of year you would buy
and plant a particular fruit tree.
For instance, tomatoes could only
be planted after show day. These
days the twenty-somethings
will think nothing of buying an
established lemon tree in a pot.”
If the tree can pull through, Bec,
Archie and George may enjoy
Daisy’s oranges as part of the
flavour of their beach holidays for
years to come.
INGREDIENTS
4 Lemons
4lbs. sugar
4 Oranges
5 pints water
marmala
d
e
METHOD
Cut fruit finely, soak 24 hours in the water. Boil fruit ‘til tender,
add warm sugar and boil until it gels – about 2.5 to 3 hours.
(Recipe taken from The 21st Birthday Cookery Book of The CWA in Tasmania)
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