Thursday, 7 March 2013

Enough to make you Weep

We have written before about our rather large willow trees and this time last year we blogged about one being pollarded (see here). This photo, taken on 3rd May 2012 shows the newly pollarded willow in the foreground, already showing signs of growth,  and two other very large weeping ones across the lawn..

After lunch today Colin decided to tackle a branch on one of these others. The branch in question had split and as well as being prone to disease there was the risk it could crack completely and fall.

With ladder secured and chain saw in hand he began to saw... You can possibly make out the falling branch on this photo..
 Another small piece off to neaten the cut...

Once felled you could see where water had built up in the crack. It was dripping out as Colin sawed..
Job done (I thought!) so we tidied up and Colin went off with a wheelbarrow full of logs - fuel for a couple of winters hence!

However, the next willow beckoned...

One branch led to another and before we knew it we were neck deep in branches again!

By late afternoon we were ready to call it a day. We'd collected a healthy stash of logs ready to pile up and dry out for fuel and there are still many more to be added..

This is the scene we left at the end of work today...
It can wait till tomorrow!!

6 comments:

Craig said...

Wow - that's a lot of work. A large glass or two of wine beckons!

Susan said...

Colin's got a nerve, calling you Edge the Prune then!

Tim said...

Nice work... but rather you than me using an electric chainsaw up a tree.
I think you took that split branch off in time...
you've got rot there from a previous split...
but...
willows are long livers...
even with rot.
You should see the hole in the middle of of our oldest!!
Again, nothing wrong with that...
lots of special places for insects, spiders, birds, etc.

Just a thought... could you put some of those branches in water for me, please... your weeper's shape looks very nice. Can swop them for a Cohu Blue... a shrub willow... there are pictures of it on "Art en Saule"... "2010 & 11… Almost caught up!" post about the various species I've already planted here. They are the main picture.

Tim said...

More like "He's a Lumberjack and he's OK!"

Colin and Elizabeth said...

Thanks Tim. We'll put some in water - see email.

GaynorB said...

Colin wasn't joking when he posted yesterday about needing another project!