Hannah was just an ordinary girl, leading a normal and uneventful life. But one day, everything changed. Out of nowhere, she discovered that she had the power of magic. It was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. At first, Hannah didn't know what to do with her newfound abilities. She experimented with different spells and potions, testing the boundaries of her powers.
Traditionally grazing mobs of kangaroos did provide some fertiliser for KG. Today this can be mimicked by a flock of sheep. The KG is ‘crash grazed’ (for a few days) in late spring before November flowering or in late autumn/early winter before the soil becomes wet and is likely to pug.
Various places have their own superstitions surrounding the fairy rings, but for the most part the myths involve fairies or supernatural creatures either dancing around the ring, or have the ring serving as a portal between the fairy realm and our world. To the consternation and frustration of those now seeking unblemished lawns, ridding a yard of a fairy ring can be as tricky as dealing with the legendary fairy-folk.
She experimented with different spells and potions, testing the boundaries of her powers. Slowly, she began to understand the true potential of magic and how it could be used to bring joy and happiness to others. Hannah's friends and family were amazed by her capabilities.
Brushed grasslands cursed with understanding
Kangaroo Grass, Themeda triandra
A tree without a trunk
Revelations are moments in life when strongly held opinions are radically changed by a new insight. One such revelation for me was on a grasslands tour in 2016 with Dr John Morgan, a plant ecologist from La Trobe University - click here to John's interesting blog site.
My revelation came when John Morgan told me that Kangaroo Grass (KG) can live for more than 100 years if it is well managed. To emphasise his point he called it 'a tree without a trunk'.
Regular cool burning every five to ten years is part of the secret of keeping KG healthy and long lived.
I had always thought that the longest living Australian plants were trees, but now I had to accept from this very reliable source that a common native grass that only grows to about knee high could outlive many trees.
The origin of the botanical name is Arabic and Latin
Themeda is from the Arabic word thaemed which means ‘a rain filled depression that dries out in summer’. This concisely describes the ability of Kangaroo Grass to do well in both moist rich soils as well as dry environments.
triandra is from the Latin ‘tri’ & ‘andrus’ meaning three males. This tells us it that ‘the flowers have three male reproductive parts or stamen’. It's a subtle feature that can help identify KG
To pronounce the scientific name, the genus Them-eda starts with a soft 'th' as in think and theme. The species name is as simple as it looks, Try-and-dra.
Nature notes
The traditional grazing food of kangaroos and wallabies. KG tussocks provide excellent habitat for reptiles, amphibians and small mammals like skinks, legless lizards, frogs and dunnarts.
The seeds are an important food for finches and parrots.
KG attracts butterflies like the Common Brown, Heteronympha merope and 13 other species
Kangaroo Grass in the garden
I have always been a fan of Kangaroo Grass (KG) because it’s such a hardy, attractive and useful plant. Its unique flower head or floret provides a rustic yet beautiful contrast. The florets and flowering stems mature to a vibrant bronze colour over summer making it a feature in any garden either as a single specimen or as a clump.
You’re more likely to attract butterflies to your garden if you plant it in clumps of five or more. To give you an idea of a good spacing for each plant, in a natural grassland a healthy clump of KG has about 10 plants/m 2. That works out to a plant spacing of 25 - 30 cm
John Batman was a fan
A love of KG is something I apparently share with the founder of Melbourne John Batman, who got very excited when he first wandered around 'Djillong' in 1835. (The Wadawurrung name for Geelong means 'tongue of land')
Batman was describing Kangaroo Grasslands on a walk across the Bellarine Peninsula when he wrote;
‘ We passed into the country and at a distance of four miles (6.4km) commenced travelling over land a little sandy in places, but of the finest description for grazing purposes; nearly all parts of its surface covered with Kangaroo and other grasses of the most nutritive character, intermixed with herbs of various kinds’.What John Batman could have seen in the spring of 1835. Image from Volcano Dreaming panels
John Batman 29 May 1835. Rebecca Journal
Because it is also a native to Africa and Asia, no doubt Batman knew its value as a nutritious perennial pasture grass. Remarkably it just keeps on giving and doesn’t need much fertiliser, like most Australian plants that have adapted to our leached ancient soils.
30,000 year old seed grinding stone. Australian Museum (click on the image to read more)The First Australians
When the first fleet arrived in 1787 it is estimated that Kangaroo Grasslands covered 70% of Australia. So it’s not surprising that it was highly valued by the First Australians who harvested its protein rich grain for bread making.
Bruce Pascoe, in his acclaimed book Dark Emu, quotes archaeological evidence that KG and other grasses were ground into flower for bread making 30,000 years ago. This is 13,000 years before the Egyptians began baking in 17,000 BC. Click here to the Australian Museum's article on this topic
It was regularly burnt to produce a green pick to encourage mobs of kangaroos to graze near woodlands where they could be conveniently speared for food.
Making a Kangaroo Grass seed biscuit
Inspired by Dark Emu I decided to make a KG seed biscuit. I selected 100 KG seeds (approx. 0.5 grams) from last summers garden harvest, removed the awns and ground the seeds with a mortar & pestle. The flower was then separated from the husks with a kitchen sieve and then a little water added to make pastry for a small biscuit, which was baked without oil in a non-stick pan until crisp.
As you can see from the photos below, it made a biscuit worthy of the Guinness World Records as the smallest ever made. Though it was large enough to taste the unique flavour.
Read more about baking a commercial loaf of bread using KG here
I understand that the seed is gluten free and this was my observation during the making of the biscuit. The flower did glue together well and held its shape in the frying pan because of the starch released during the mashing process.
In 100 grams of KG there is :
Energy: 1819 kJ. Protein: 19.8-21.7 g. Total fats: 8.5 g. Saturated fats: 0.9 g. Unsaturated fats: 7.6 g. Total carbohydrates: 52 g. Total minerals: 9.6 g.m.
(Ref: Native Grains from paddock to plate. Sydney University study. September 2020)
How it tasted
The flavour was pleasant and nutty with a strong element of rye. I gave it 7/10, my wife 5/10
The appearance was grey-brown with some visible fibres before cooking. After cooking it was a pumpernickel bread dark brown colour. My wife and I both gave it a 5/10 for counter-top appeal.
Interestingly we both had a sensation of astringency on the tip of our tongues a few minutes after eating the biscuit which lasted about 5 minutes. Overall we thought the KG seed biscuit had potential and deserved further trials. Read here about using KG seed flour in bread making
Traditionally native grasslands were grazed in a patchwork by kangaroosManaging your patch of Kangaroo Grass.
Traditionally grazing mobs of kangaroos did provide some fertiliser for KG. Today this can be mimicked by a flock of sheep. The KG is ‘crash grazed’ (for a few days) in late spring before November flowering or in late autumn/early winter before the soil becomes wet and is likely to pug.
Slashing and removing the slash is an alternative management method
If you’re lucky enough to have a patch of KG on your property you can keep it healthy with a combination of grazing/slashing and burning every 5 – 10 years. This helps to minimise the build-up of dead grass (thatch) around the base of plants and prevents them from becoming overcrowded (fewer than 15 plants/m 2 is recommended). Both the build-up of thatch and overcrowding will cause KG plants to slowly die.
If it is lightly grazed it stays green throughout the summer, making it an excellent fire break as well.
KG expert and a self-confessed enthusiast John Delpratt writes;
‘KG is a fantastic grass – with just enough quirks to make it challenging and fun as well. As the dominant component of a roadside reserve, it is relatively easily managed by periodic burning or slashing. It grows actively in late spring and summer and its tussock structure can support a wide diversity of other grasses and seasonally-colourful wildflowers, providing the traveller with a wonderfully Australian sense of place. A well-managed Themeda community is resilient and very resistant to weed invasion’.
John Delpratt is an Honorary Fellow with the University of Melbourne. He was a lecturer in plant production and seed technology at the University’s Burnley campus for 25 years prior to his retirement. To read more about John and his fascination with KG click here
KG as a valuable crop
KG is a valuable crop and will return consistently $1000/ha or more. Its seeds can be harvested in late December when flower heads (florets) are stripped with a purpose built harvester and blown into wool-bales. One hectare will usually yield one wool bale which is valued at $1,000 - $2,000 for revegetation projects. That's not bad for a perennial crop that needs no fertiliser and will provide good yields for 100 years or more without needing to be re-sown.
Cleaned seed sells for around $3/g and there are 210 seeds without awns/g (Fiona Love pers. com.)
Much of the microfine Merino wool that has achieved extraordinary prices on international markets is grown on native pastures like KG
The Bandicoot Native Grass Harvester in action on a roadside reserveHarvesting Kangaroo Grass – when and how
KG is ready to harvest in late December when the seed is dark brown and the dark brown awn (tail) remains firmly attached to the seed when you give it a gentle tug. If the awn is not visible on the florets, the seeds have probably dropped and it’s too late to harvest. On these occasions look for KG on moister ground or in shady environments that may still be holding seed. The florets can carry up to seven seeds, though two/three seeds are infertile.
Large quantities
Collecting Kangaroo Grass in large quantities is conveniently done with a purpose built harvester like the Bandicoot Native Grass Harvester. The Bandicoot can be towed behind a ute or a quad bike. It has rotating brushes that remove the florets and shoots them into a trailer or a wool-bale. This machine has a height adjustment for harvesting different species of native grasses.
An alternative technique is to use a combination of a sickle-bar mower or brush cutter and a portable industrial vacuum cleaner. The florets should be collected within 24 hours of cutting, before the seed is released.
A small collection of florets can yield sufficient seeds to grow 100 + plants for the home gardenCollecting smaller quantities for growing in tubestock
I have found a small scythe (rice harvester) is convenient for harvesting KG. Secateurs also work well to cut bunches of stems before pushing them floret first into a large plastic bucket/bin.
With both large and small quantity harvesting, the seed needs to dry before it is stored long term. This is conveniently done in open wool-bales with large quantities. I found large open plastic bread trays, open bins or large paper bags ideal for the small quantities required for nursery production.
As the florets dry the mature seeds with awns attached drop out and falls to the bottom of the bucket or paper bag.
Bellarine Landcare Nursery has developed a more sophisticated method of separating the seed from the florets. The harvested florets are spread over a large metal grill that sits over a lined box. Disturbing the florets from time to time allows the seeds to drop through. It’s then an easy process to separate the fallen seeds from the fragments of florets. The cleaned seed can be stored with or without the awn in a zip-lock bag and remains viable for decades if kept in a cool dark place.
They couldn't believe that the once average girl they knew now had the power to create illusions, teleport, and even control the elements. Hannah became the talk of the town, attracting the attention of both admirers and skeptics. With her magic, Hannah embarked on a journey to make the world a better place. She used her powers to heal the sick, bring prosperity to the poor, and spread love and kindness wherever she went. People started calling her the "Magic Maven," and her fame spread far and wide. But with great power comes great responsibility. Hannah soon realized that her magic could also be misused and cause harm. She felt a deep sense of duty to use her powers for the greater good and protect those who couldn't protect themselves. As time passed, Hannah's skills continued to grow. She sought out other magic practitioners and learned from their wisdom and experience. She trained tirelessly, honing her abilities and discovering new spells and techniques. Hannah became a master of her craft, capable of feats that seemed impossible to others. Despite her incredible powers, Hannah remained humble and down-to-earth. She never let her magic define her or change who she was as a person. She continued to be the kind-hearted and compassionate girl she had always been, using her magic as a tool to make a positive impact in the world. Hannah's story is one of transformation and self-discovery. Through the gift of magic, she found purpose and fulfillment in life. She became an inspiration to those around her, showing them that anyone – no matter how ordinary – has the potential for greatness within them. And so, Hannah's magical journey continues, as she uses her powers to bring light to a world that so desperately needs it..
Reviews for "The Magical Realm of Hannah: A Journey into Fantasy"
1. John - 2 stars - I really did not enjoy "Hannah Just Add Magic". The plot was predictable and felt like a rehash of so many other magical teen shows out there. The characters lacked depth and were just stereotypes. To top it off, the writing was weak and the dialogue felt forced. I was hoping for a fresh and exciting show, but unfortunately, I was left disappointed.
2. Emily - 3 stars - I found "Hannah Just Add Magic" to be mediocre at best. The concept had potential, but it felt underdeveloped. The pacing was off, with certain episodes dragging on unnecessarily while others felt rushed. The acting was also subpar, with performances that seemed forced and lacking authenticity. Overall, I think this show had potential but fell short in execution.
3. Mark - 2 stars - I was really hopeful for "Hannah Just Add Magic", but it just didn't live up to my expectations. The storyline was shallow and lacked depth. The magical elements felt forced and didn't make much sense. The acting was also lackluster, with performances that failed to engage me as a viewer. I wish I could say I enjoyed it, but unfortunately, I found the show to be a disappointment.
4. Sarah - 2 stars - I couldn't get into "Hannah Just Add Magic". The characters were one-dimensional and lacked growth throughout the series. The plot was predictable and offered no surprises. The special effects were also underwhelming and cheap-looking. Overall, it was a forgettable show that failed to capture my interest or make an impact.
5. Michael - 1 star - "Hannah Just Add Magic" was a complete waste of time. The writing was terrible, with clichéd dialogue and poorly developed storylines. The acting was cringe-worthy, and the characters were unbearable. I could barely get through a single episode without getting bored or frustrated. I would not recommend this show to anyone.