Under the Casuarinas the leaves fall onto the ground and like their Piney friends, they inhibit the growth of other plants. Apart from the odd blow-in, this is a mono-species environment. These leaves alone determine the language spoken at ground level.
From in their life above, which was all long and line-like, that character is changed. Nothing is long on the ground. A line crossed too many times becomes a mat. The leaves are stitched together from gravity and from falling into a confined space now. They are no longer required to conform to the demands of wind and air and rain. If it’s a retirement home for leaves, we should all lodge our deposits for room here.
Panda
On my walks with Panda he always makes a point of ‘zooming’ through these leaves, disrupting their insistent restedness.
While the carpet resides under the Casuarinas, there is a disappointing Frenchness to their niceness, which is way too soft and gentle for here.