I spent yesterday afternoon trying to reconnect with knowledge floating around somewhere in the back cupboards of my brain. I found it eventually, and once I had dusted it down and removed an old bit of dried jam that had leaked out of a childhood memory, I found that it still worked.
All of this is a rather convoluted way of saying that I pruned a tree for the first time since my accident. Obviously I didn't climb it this time, but instead used a lopping pole (not to be confused with a loping Pole). This is a long pole with a cutting tool on the end that is quite tricky to control, but which allowed me to cut much of the small apple tree myself.
The apple trees (2) are in my mum's garden, in case you were wondering. No, I haven't set up an Arboricultural business, although it's tempting, just for the look on client's faces when I turn up in a wheelchair with a chainsaw. While I wasn't able to really get a good look at the trees from all angles, it was hugely satisfying to read the way they are growing and to look to shape them to improve air flow through the crown, reduce the risk of branches rubbing (this can cause areas for disease to get into the tree), but also to produce a shape that is pleasing to look at.
I suppose I always knew that the knowledge I had in this area was still available to draw on, but it was still a nice surprise to find the process very satisfying. My love for trees has not diminished, that I already knew, but to be able to 'work on a tree' again turned out to be really enjoyable.
At this point I feel I should inject a note of caution into the proceedings. DO NOT drop me a line and ask me to come and look at your sixty foot tall Plane tree that's growing over your roof, or expect me to take down an overgrown Leylandii hedge on your boundary line. If, however, you have a tree that's under ten feet tall in a garden that's wheelchair accessible, then I might come and look at it for you. For a fee. I can't believe I'm offering my services as a Bonsai tree-surgeon. Oh the humiliation, etc.
All of this is a rather convoluted way of saying that I pruned a tree for the first time since my accident. Obviously I didn't climb it this time, but instead used a lopping pole (not to be confused with a loping Pole). This is a long pole with a cutting tool on the end that is quite tricky to control, but which allowed me to cut much of the small apple tree myself.
The apple trees (2) are in my mum's garden, in case you were wondering. No, I haven't set up an Arboricultural business, although it's tempting, just for the look on client's faces when I turn up in a wheelchair with a chainsaw. While I wasn't able to really get a good look at the trees from all angles, it was hugely satisfying to read the way they are growing and to look to shape them to improve air flow through the crown, reduce the risk of branches rubbing (this can cause areas for disease to get into the tree), but also to produce a shape that is pleasing to look at.
I suppose I always knew that the knowledge I had in this area was still available to draw on, but it was still a nice surprise to find the process very satisfying. My love for trees has not diminished, that I already knew, but to be able to 'work on a tree' again turned out to be really enjoyable.
At this point I feel I should inject a note of caution into the proceedings. DO NOT drop me a line and ask me to come and look at your sixty foot tall Plane tree that's growing over your roof, or expect me to take down an overgrown Leylandii hedge on your boundary line. If, however, you have a tree that's under ten feet tall in a garden that's wheelchair accessible, then I might come and look at it for you. For a fee. I can't believe I'm offering my services as a Bonsai tree-surgeon. Oh the humiliation, etc.
How about an online consultancy? You could be the Dear Deirdre off the Arboricultural world . I'd pay good money for someone to tell me how to rid the willow tree of squirrels.