Our neighbour recently took advantage of still air, a dry day and the season of winter to have a large beech tree pollarded. Seeing the tree surgeons at work in the garden reminded me that ten years ago, almost to the week, we had a large willow tree in the garden of our previous house pollarded. Having such work done is always a hard decision. On the one hand a very tall tree near buildings presents a potential problem in high winds and can impact on the cost of insurance. On the other hand big trees bring beauty to gardens and the wider neighbourhood as well as providing food and habitats for birds and insects. About a third of the height was removed and inevitably it looks odd at the moment. However, the leaves and fresh shoots will soon return it to a more natural shape.
photos © T. Boughen Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2
