ROWAN TREES

I am standing under a rowan tree in my top garden, gazing at our beautiful mountains. Same as yesterday; no clouds, no wind ..... spells perfection. Two days ago I read in the Otago Daily Times, the Queenstown Lakes District Council want to prohibit the planting of rowans. ROWANS ! I ask you ? They have a list of 13 trees & may include Silver Birches. In the Spring the Council will probably forbid broad beans in the vegetable garden......too tall/entice white butterfly's ! Get a life. A few years ago I flew to Boston in the 2nd week of October, specifically to take a tour round the New England area of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine & Connecticut. The tour & the trees were unbelievably beautiful. Out of this world. With judicious planting, Central Otago could become the Vermont of the south. My recent trips to Alexandra, Tapanui, Cardrona, & Arrowtown fervently reinforce this view........and yet Councils & landscape artists insist on planting natives. You can look at natives & not know what season it is. You try. They look boring all year round. Deciduous trees define the seasons, Spring & Autumn; they allow the sun to shine through in the Winter & their leaves are natures compost. Their merit is doubly distilled. We have nothing to compare with the corner that makes up the New England states, but we could make a start building on it. Plant deciduous should be the Councils slogan. Not prohibiting them.
Time to get off my hobby horse.