As said before, what this land wants to do is grow trees. It is very good at it. While waiting for trees a lush cover of grass and bracken fern, interspersed with wild flowers, holds the soil on the slope. One of these days I will devote a post entirely to bracken.
June is tiger lily month.
It is hard to remember, but in our earliest years we were thrilled to find baby trees here and there. We wanted a fringe around the place for privacy in case neighbouring lots ended up being cleared. We got it. Indeed, we are now surrounded by clearings, but our neighbours are mainly invisible thanks to our own trees. We also wanted a few islands of trees here and there. They obligingly appeared.
There is one problem: trees don't know when to quit. They just keep spreading and they just keep growing. I love trees but I also love sunshine and views.
We have had several cullings when the price of timber was higher. The money we got for the wood paid for the work done by the horse logger. That was some years ago. It was time for a new round. I would have done it earlier but for two factors. Finding a way to get it done without paying anyone, and domestic politics. It seems that in every household in the woods one partner likes shade and privacy, while another prefers sun and openness. My own inertia is a powerful force to begin with. Add the desire to avoid conflict, and years passed with more shade than I like.
What finally shook me up was remembering that non-action is a form of action. (Thanks for the lesson son Alex) We have never sat down to discuss the pros and cons of turning an abandoned hay field with stunning views into forest with a few openings. It just happened. So why do I feel guilty about removing a few trees? The culling done now is still a compromise.
One large tree shaded the greenhouse section. Every year I pictured it gone, but put up with it for one more year. Its time had come.
The last blow to inertia was struck by a good friend who found an experienced faller to do the job. The friend pays for the work in return for the firewood. I know nothing about the value of wood, but apparently it is a good deal all around. Win/win.
Note the twin stumps in the center above. The extra light in this garden, just below the greenhouse, is amazing!
The only drawback is the mess of branches.
I thought of hiring a teenager to deal with them, but after the chiropractor fixed my hips again I did my own shlepping to a central pile.
And so it goes.
It is hard to remember, but in our earliest years we were thrilled to find baby trees here and there. We wanted a fringe around the place for privacy in case neighbouring lots ended up being cleared. We got it. Indeed, we are now surrounded by clearings, but our neighbours are mainly invisible thanks to our own trees. We also wanted a few islands of trees here and there. They obligingly appeared.
There is one problem: trees don't know when to quit. They just keep spreading and they just keep growing. I love trees but I also love sunshine and views.
We have had several cullings when the price of timber was higher. The money we got for the wood paid for the work done by the horse logger. That was some years ago. It was time for a new round. I would have done it earlier but for two factors. Finding a way to get it done without paying anyone, and domestic politics. It seems that in every household in the woods one partner likes shade and privacy, while another prefers sun and openness. My own inertia is a powerful force to begin with. Add the desire to avoid conflict, and years passed with more shade than I like.
One large tree shaded the greenhouse section. Every year I pictured it gone, but put up with it for one more year. Its time had come.
The last blow to inertia was struck by a good friend who found an experienced faller to do the job. The friend pays for the work in return for the firewood. I know nothing about the value of wood, but apparently it is a good deal all around. Win/win.
The only drawback is the mess of branches.
And so it goes.
Oh Tiger Lilies...how i miss you!! they are one of my favourite flowers (after dandilions) and i never get to see them anymore.
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