A spot of dusk pruning
That’s the pesky thing about winter. There just isn’t enough daylight to do one’s chores.
Add in two days this week of this….
And it really does slow down your chances of mowing lawns.
And pruning.
I did manage to cloche the tiny stone pines that are dotted about the top terrace and at the parking area.
They are too titchy to enjoy this heavy snow.
But the enormous pines in the dry garden were fine.
No snow underneath their canopy this week.
But that canopy… It really is a very large area where the poor plants underneath do not thrive.
They are all leaning out trying to get out of the shade. And don’t mention how dry it is underneath.
I know it’s a dry garden. But the plants here are super parched.
So what to do? Somehow or other I had a pruning saw in my hand and ambled up to the tree and had a look.
And started enthusiastically sawing like mad. It was so much fun!
I have raised the canopy in a big way (dare I show you the branches I lopped off?) and yes, it now looks a bit unbalanced. Eek.
I noticed this in the sunshine this afternoon when I took the ladder and sawed off the dead branches higher up.
But the branches on the north side of the tree were mostly dead and looking nasty. So that’s my excuse. But it did make me realise that sawing away at large living trees at dusk is not the best idea.
I’d best stick to thumping the snow off the evergreens with a broom instead.
10th December 2021 @ 7:48 pm
So you have snow too. You can’t mow, but then I doubt the grass would grow very much… Your pruning looks good to me, perhaps you chose a good angle for the picture! Go girl as they say.
I’m finding it very frustrating to be kept out of the garden. The landscape gardener was here for 2 days with his mini-digger at the very end of November, planting trees and moving shrubs and roses. Within hours of his departure snow started falling and hasn’t stopped since, most of the time accompanied by high winds = huge drifts. New plantings are just little sticks poking out. I’ve had no chance to walk around, inspect the results and continue the job. Keep telling myself to be patient… until March?
10th December 2021 @ 9:19 pm
Oh the frustration of altitude! I do feel for you. We have a thaw coming later this week. And I am over excited with plans. You must be just gnashing your teeth with impatience for a thaw.