Tuesday 6 March 2012

Pollarding the trees in Richelieu

During the early summer last year the square at the northern end of the Grand Rue was a colourful spectacle. The trees were in full leaf and at the start of May, the fair brought an added element of colour to the usual scene.

 

As summer advanced the trees provided much needed shade in the square.
 
What a different picture last month when snow covered the ground and, despite sub zero temperatures, pollarding of the trees was in full swing,...

 

No shade needed on that day... In fact, it makes you feel cold simply looking at the second set of photos! Roll on summer and a return to colour and bright days... Not far off now and very eagerly anticipated!

It will be a couple of summers, though, before the trees will have regenerated sufficiently to provide such good shade again. But, given time, they will be just as leafy as ever...

Isn't nature wonderful?!

2 comments:

GaynorB said...

Tim happens to be an expert on pollarding. A few years ago he pollarded a silver birch that was in the way of our satellite dish! The tree hasn't died yet, although I doubt a silver birch is generally a recommended variety to pollard ...

Abbé Henri Proust said...

I can't wait for the redesign of this square, and it to be restored symmetrically like the other, the place du Marché, in the (more-or-less)17-century way. Then we can get some strictly trimmed hornbeams that have a bit more rigour than this current awful 19-century ludo-board tree and carriageway layout, that is is little more than an axial interruption on the way from the 19-century Coupure du Parc to the 19-century train station, with its absurd flanking 19-century villas.
If you want the Belle Epoque, go to Paris!