Wednesday 25 November 2015

Trees.



I'm a tree fanatic; I adore them; especially at this time of year. When I'm feeling that I need a boost, it's in the woods that I find it.

This small parcel of woodland (above) used to be a cultivated field. Many decades ago it was abandoned, and has now been overtaken by what I think are Beeches. In early Spring I'm assured that it's home to hefty crops of Morel mushrooms; although I have yet to find any.

The combination of the carpet of Ivy and those slim tall trunks is staggering.


About 50 metres from the trees in the top picture is this beautiful Parasol Pine. I see it almost daily as it's on one of our regular walks. It's a wild, self-sown, tree, and as its wood is of little value it's been left alone to become old, and will no doubt end its days by dying and falling down. 


And this is one of the Parasol Pines that I planted a few years back. It has already started to take shape, and should grow to become a magnificent tree. Usually I plant trees that give something back in return; but in this case I wavered.

I may give it a hug this morning, as I've just noticed that it's a tad (extremely) frosty outdoors.



43 comments:

  1. I love trees, too. Those parasol pines are very pretty. I'd never heard of them before.

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  2. The first photo reminds me of a Gustav Klimt painting.
    I have never seen a Parasol Pine befor. Wonderful.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. That piece of 'woodland' is quite special. Someone, many years ago, went to a huge amount of trouble in levelling the ground, building stone walls all around, and even constructing a small (now collapsed) building in one corner. I should think it was abandoned as a field at least a hundred years ago, and now just grows trees and ivy. Sad!

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  3. Let's all hug a tree this morning and pray for common sense. The trees in the top picture look more like birch to me but then who am I to say.

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    1. They're not Silver Birch, but you could be right. I'm never too sure about Birch and Beech.

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  4. We have a small woodland down one side of our farm which has several ancient oaks growing in it. I have a respect for the age of those trees and ignore people who say that we should cut the woodland down, including the oaks, to use as firewood. Not a chance of that happening while we are the custodians of this land.
    I like the shape of trees in the winter as well, and find a loveliness to the landscape even on the darkest of winter days. I suppose I must have an artistic eye as well.....

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    1. We have a few oaks, one of which is magnificent. We named it 'The Royal Oak' for the jubilee; it will NEVER be cut for firewood.

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  5. Difficult to tell what the trees are, but you will have a better idea when they are in leaf, though the trunks of a few at the front do resemble birch. It's nice to see nature getting a chance to take over. Love the parasol pine - all we seem to have is a landscape full of Mediterranean pines which are so invasive, and so few palms now that the dreaded weevil has decimated them.

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    1. Our woodlands are mostly chestnut, oak, and Mediterranean pines. Very few of the Parasol pines are still growing.

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  6. I was also going to say birch not beech and I see I am not the only one! Lovely picture of them whatever they are!

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    1. They could well be Birch, but not Silver Birch.

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  7. The white smudge on your tree looked like a huge nest of the Processionary Caterpiller that is so awfully dangerous to dogs. The tree of our neighbour across the road has, at last, had three of the four blobs removed. One to go and we shall sleep more soundly.
    I dare say that they are not about this time of the year - but you never know with Indian Summers and frost 'n snow in the same week.

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    1. Our dog Monty suffered from them; he lost about 2 centimetres of his tongue. There are loads of nests around here, one has to be very cautious.

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    2. One of our dogs was attacked by processionary caterpillars, and it was touch and go if he would survive. Fortunately he did, thanks to prompt action by husband and the vet., who told us that it's usually very young dogs who are attacked because they are inquisitive. We were also advised by local dog owners that the best thing is either to cut the nests down with the affected branch, if possible, or spray the nest with foam oven cleaner - rather drastic, but it does work. Normally they hatch in early spring, usually after a wet and mild autumn.

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  8. I thought they were silver birch too. They're known as one of the pioneer species because they are the first to grow in an area before other species come in.
    Arilx

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    1. The trunks look like Silver Birch in the photo, but they're quite different when close-up.

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  9. I'd say birch too.
    We love our trees as well an have planted 350 natives last March on this barren piece of land. The land had been grazed by cows and there was not a tree to be seen.
    Now, 2.5 years in, plenty have sprung up out of nowhere. Mainly sally/rusty willow, mind, but we'll thin them out as and when necessary.

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    1. Squirrels are pretty good at re-foresting barren land. We have a field where oaks are springing up all over (thanks to Squirrels).

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  10. Planting trees for the next generation is a lovely gift. I also like to encourage the serendipity of self sown trees. Having trees close really makes me aware of the seasons.When I was growing up we had an almond tree just outside my bedroom window. The blossom was the earliest blossom in the spring, so delicate and welcome.

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    1. We're a bit too far north for Almonds; late frosts tend to kill off the flowers.

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    2. In January the valley below, and the hills opposite are cloaked in pink and white blossom from almond trees, and nearby there a spectacular almond blossom walk.

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  11. I've never seen a parasol pine before. Handsome tree.
    We have several little copses similar to your first picture around here with the floor covered in ivy and dog's mercury in the spring.

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    1. A carpet of ivy is very beautiful, I know several bits of woodland like that around here. They all seem very peaceful.

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  12. Beautiful trees ...... I love that peeling silver bark.
    We planted three silver birches at the bottom of our garden thirty years ago and, after the Great Storm of 1987, we bought a tree in a paper cup { it was just a bean with a little stalk and one leaf .... the local horticultural and landscaping college were giving them away to encourage people to replace the trees that had blown down } That tree is now over 100 feet high and is as straight as a die !! We still don't know what it is !!!!! We also had to cut down a Yew tree that was next to our house that was actually touching the flank wall and causing some cracks ...... I hated cutting down that tree but it had to be done.
    Sorry .... that was rather a long-winded comment !! .... and, all about me too !!!!!! XXXX

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    1. Yes, it's sad having to cut down an old tree that's simply in the wrong place. We had to remove a lovely old Pear tree here, as it was leaning towards the house and didn't look too safe. We replaced it with a straight growing Quince tree.

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  13. I share your love for trees. My husband and I have planted a number of trees throughout our long marriage and I remember them all with something very akin to affection. I would like to plant a shade tree at our new place in Florida, where shade is desperately needed, but I know I will not live here long enough to see it grow to full size. Still...we should plant it, I suppose.

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    1. My latest thing has been planting fruit trees, for my grandchildren, on the day they were born. I have planted 5 so far.

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  14. I had a Parasol Pine at my former home and loved it. However, I never knew what it was. Now I know, Thanks Cro.

    We are going to have to take two trees down next spring. One is half dead and the other has grown too large for where it is. It makes me very sad to lose these.

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    1. Maybe the two trees will become fire wood; at least they'll be of service.

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  15. I'm looking at a brilliant red sweet gum tree right now. Gorgeous and the last to hold their leaves. If a field grew up with trees around here, the ranchers would be tearing them all down and into a burn pile.

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    1. No shortage of land here; just a shortage of farmers to work it.

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  16. That is a beautiful tree and it stands out so perfectly. How nice that you were able to plant a 'sister' and that you give hugs. I once heard that tress do have spirit. They certainly bring a lot of happiness!

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    1. They are really beautiful trees, the car park at my supermarket is dotted with them too.

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  17. Thank you for showing me what a parasol pine looks like. I've heard of them, probably in some novels, but never could quite imagine how they looked. I remember the first time I actually saw a monkey puzzle tree and solved another litterary question.

    Best wishes.

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    1. I love Monkey Puzzle trees. There's a garden near us that has a row of about 8 of them, which looks totally stupid; they should always be alone.

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  18. Even though our house is 100 years old there was only one small dogwood on the property. I have since filled it with trees. I also have quite a few in large pots that we move around the gardens.

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  19. I love trees and when I lived in the country I planted at least 100 of them in the ten years I lived on my little plot. Unfortunately the average Kiwi bloke never saw a tree he didn't want to cut down. I think Kiwi males are born with a chainsaw in their fists. I visited my little farm last week after two years away, and yes, the bloke I sold it to has cleared most of the trees I planted.

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  20. I live in fear of ash die back reaching here Cro as so many of the trees in our hedgerows on the farm are ash.

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  21. I still miss my guinea fowl roosting in the church beech

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    1. We used to have a pair of Peacocks that roosted in a Conker tree. I don't miss them too much.

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  22. I've never heard of such a thing as a Parasol Pine before...it's very interesting looking.

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