Brisbane New Farm Park fig trees and play ground, a great pictorial

Ekka · 21st August 2007, 02:57 AM

The figs are commonly called Banyan's (Ficus benghalensis). Here's a picture of the foliage.

We have been visiting this place frequently for some years now, the kids love it.

This is the kids favourite playground. We'll also take a close look at the trees which are doing it tough at the moment with the drought we are having.

They have an amazing root system that's swallowing an old park bench.

A prop for a long lateral that the kids shimmy along.

Of course they need to climb up there.

A decent covering of mulch to reduce compaction and offer some protection for the kids when they fall.

A recent addition has been built for kids to climb, had to have a go myself and show people what it's all about.

Here's the view from the top of the taller post, first looking down then at the city.

Ekka · 21st August 2007, 03:12 AM

You can see the amazing aerial root system, however you'll also notice the sparse canopy from the drought ... hopefully they pull through alright.

There's an extensive tree house adventure walk thing built through and between the trees.

Of course it wouldn't be complete without it's slide

And a couple of balancing things to get those tree climbing ... or is it rope climbing skills up.

This is the middle section between the 2 trees

JohN Dee · 21st August 2007, 03:29 AM

Wow those are some great photo's Ekka. Dang you QLDers get mad playgrounds built... We have little tiny crapy steel ones...

Sean Freeman · 21st August 2007, 04:40 AM

Excellent pics, great use of mulch...I wouldn't worry too much about them surviving the drought incredibly tough trees only lopping and root damage seems to phase them...esp lopping off the prop roots!!

treestyle · 22nd August 2007, 01:35 AM

do you think it would be a good management practice to close the playground 1 or 2 months out of the year to allow the tree sometime alone?

Sean Freeman · 22nd August 2007, 02:04 AM

treestyle such a proposition would be favourable to the trees no question but impractical for such a high use area. If I were writing the tree management for the park intensive soil and root treatments would be par for the course..tapering off after about 5yrs to a quarterly cycle of less intensive works.

Its most unfortunate that tree owners esp LGA's don't recognise the need to treat their tree populations as carefully as they do their annual flower beds! Urban trees as has been said by many here often, are in an alien environment...worse a hostile alien environment! PHC is what they need, and considering how relatively inexpensive it is it is what they should be getting.

TrevMcRev · 22nd August 2007, 02:54 AM

Awesome. A playground where the kids interact with natures trees as much as the man made stuff. I like the idea, but if the trees are really stressed those little feet day in day out add up to a fair amount of compaction. Kept well mulched it will hopefully be OK. Extra PHC as Sean suggested would be well worthwhile but unlikely

21st August 2007, 03:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
JohN Dee Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 751	Wow those are some great photo's Ekka. Dang you QLDers get mad playgrounds built... We have little tiny crapy steel ones... __________________ Climber with slow climbing speed, must make up with mighty chainsaw roar. Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory Red : Green : Blue

21st August 2007, 04:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
Sean Freeman PDF King & Arborist Extrodinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Townsville Nth Queensland & Gold Coast Sth Queensland Posts: 1,671	Excellent pics, great use of mulch...I wouldn't worry too much about them surviving the drought incredibly tough trees only lopping and root damage seems to phase them...esp lopping off the prop roots!! __________________ Sean Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, That we may record our emptiness. - Kahlil Gibran

22nd August 2007, 01:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
treestyle Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Brisbane Posts: 128	managing these trees? do you think it would be a good management practice to close the playground 1 or 2 months out of the year to allow the tree sometime alone?

22nd August 2007, 02:04 AM	#6 (permalink)
Sean Freeman PDF King & Arborist Extrodinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Townsville Nth Queensland & Gold Coast Sth Queensland Posts: 1,671	treestyle such a proposition would be favourable to the trees no question but impractical for such a high use area. If I were writing the tree management for the park intensive soil and root treatments would be par for the course..tapering off after about 5yrs to a quarterly cycle of less intensive works. Its most unfortunate that tree owners esp LGA's don't recognise the need to treat their tree populations as carefully as they do their annual flower beds! Urban trees as has been said by many here often, are in an alien environment...worse a hostile alien environment! PHC is what they need, and considering how relatively inexpensive it is it is what they should be getting. __________________ Sean Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, That we may record our emptiness. - Kahlil Gibran

22nd August 2007, 02:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
TrevMcRev Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 734	Awesome. A playground where the kids interact with natures trees as much as the man made stuff. I like the idea, but if the trees are really stressed those little feet day in day out add up to a fair amount of compaction. Kept well mulched it will hopefully be OK. Extra PHC as Sean suggested would be well worthwhile but unlikely __________________ Melbourne Arborist, Total Tree Care, Pruning, Tree and Stump Removal

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode