Frailty thy name is woman

This blip has very little to do with photography; rather it's just a snapshot of what my garden looks like now -  a real mess.

We keep the front garden looking good, and the top half of the back garden, but the lower half is pretty much let go.  It's quite steep, and too far away from the house to do anything really sensible with.  Which is a shame because it's the sunniest part (our back is south facing and very shaded (just the opposite to you lot on the northern hemisphere).

I've had the idea to make it a native garden for quite a time, so today I made a start.  There's this one rose bush tree on the boundary which I swear is more than 12 ft tall - but it isn't any more.  My objective was to clear, from the bottom  up to the rose tree, but I didn't reckon on having to machete my way down past the avocado, and a wattle that has been planted in the wrong place.

It looks like the avocado has anthracnose fungus in a very bad way, and I reckon it might be terminal.  Almost all the branches are showing signs of decay.  At least that's what I think it is - it looks like the branches have been burnt, and last year when I first noticed it, I really thought it was sunburn.  But it isn't sunburn,. it's far too widespread.

At least I've made a start, and this cup of tea is tasting wonderful.

Such a shame it's getting too dark to do any more (not).

Extra: The garden before I started, showing the rose tree, before I pruned it  Those posts are 4ft metal star droppers, so that gives you an idea of the height.  The rose is the mid-green thing on the right.  The dark green thing behind it is the avocado tree.