Much of the world in desperate turmoil this mad mad year . . . but Earth and nature abide: Guildford's Manetti roses are once again in full bloom this early Spring, and despite a few aphids, are looking better than ever.

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Beware of the Frogs

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Kings Meadow Reserve. In the original 1829 Guildford Town Plan prepared by H.C. Sutherland, a huge riverside-frontage allotment was vested in the Crown. It remains pubic land. On its website, the City of Swan issues the following warning: "Beware of snakes during summer as this reedy area where the two rivers meet is a huge frog habitat". Perhaps this explains the precise, careful gait of this polo pony (part of the reserve is currently leased to the Perth Polo Club).
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Local heroes save historical roses

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The Manetti roses were originally placed on the river bank in 1852 by the young Royal Engineer Lieutenant Du Cane, who planted them near Barkers Bridge in Guildford. The roses were very nearly lost in 1997 when contractors for the city of Swan sprayed them with herbicide. The local Guildford Association and other conservation groups, including students from Polytechnic West, replanted the roses with cuttings from the original roses. Members of the Guildford Association were known to have carried buckets of water from the river to water the roses during the heat of the following summers, until City of Swan installed reticulation. The world is full of unsung local heroes.
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