Christmas Decorations
Lorraine Shannon
While digging in manure to plant some fennel seedlings I unearthed several larvae of Christmas beetles. Not great news for the garden but excellent news that the beleaguered Christmas beetle is still with us, and come December we may hear the familiar thud as they whack into the windows at night.
There’s only anecdotal evidence that their numbers are declining but everyone I know commented last Christmas on their scarcity. It may have been the fires, or the dry Spring or the clearing of grasslands that provide their food but fingers crossed they will be chomping their way through the eucalypt leaves at the bottom of the garden by the end of the year – and simultaneously providing an array of iridescent outdoor Christmas decorations.
Autor bio: Lorraine is a nature writer and academic editor living in the Blue Mountains. She is also a keen gardener.