That old adage about one year’s seeds, seven years of weeds? Does that mean the seven years of weeds promised or threatened by that adage are multiplied by each year of seeds?

I sincerely hope not. Seven years of weeds are bad enough. I’ve been off the island for over two years. I might be able to manage my patch around Eurong to control weeds for the next seven years. But 14 years? If I’m still around by then, I doubt I’ll be able to carry around a 15Kg knapsack of spray or bend over pulling weeds.

What planet was the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins on when he wrote about the beauty of Spring “when weeds in wheels shoot long and lovely and lush”?

Long and lush, I can understand, but “lovely”?

On my return to Eurong, I found plenty of the long and lush. There were fields of green after plenty of rain. Oh, and did I say “fields” of green? Well, carpets of green winter weeds of all descriptions: A variety of thistles, cobblers peg, dandelion, ragweed, Moss River burr, and blue billy goat weed.

There were, of course, the usual suspects growing unhindered in the places around Eurong I had been tackling for years – Guinea grass and coral creeper, Brazillian nightshade, basket asparagus, Easter cassia, mother of millions, morning glory, painted spurge and the odd beach almond seedling.

Welcome home.

It wasn’t as if I didn’t have plenty of things to occupy my time after years of neglect. There was also a massive beach clean-up after the floods.

However, I spent several hours trudging around Eurong when time and the weather permitted, spraying weeds before a misstep and stumble caused a back injury which put me out of action. I eventually required surgical intervention.

What a great year 2022 was turning out to be.

Thank goodness for the FIDO groups who have kept up the fight against weeds in my absence.

During my recovery from surgery, I took one of their teams for a weed tour of “Residential Valley”. While they were weeding, I couldn’t help myself. I plucked a bag full of tiny mother of millions from an embankment in Jarvis Street by kneeling on the road, so I didn’t have to bend my back. 

I have recovered enough now to carry a knapsack spray, bend at the knees, and even bend my back, enabling me to pull weeds again. I’m hoping to make a dent in the weed population while the sun is shining and as time permits.

Contributed by David Anderson, Fraser Island Association