I hope all of you survived Storm Eunice and its aftermath. I have spent the last few days slowly clearly the debris left on the lawns. Sadly, the high winds damaged an old and glorious Malus tree in our garden and lots of conifers in the adjoining woods. The Malus tree flowers it socks off each year and is such a delight to see when you come down the driveway. It was completed destroyed, there is just less of it now. Thankfully Eunice didn’t match the destruction of the 1987 storm where the UK lost over 15 million trees. Nevertheless, it was a fine example of ‘Mother Nature’s pruning saw’. I only wish she had provided the help to clean up the mess! And annoyingly the Storm distracted me from fruit tree pruning and clearing my borders so now I feel very behind in my gardening work. However, I am now armed with expert advice on fruit tree pruning thanks to Jim Arbury, RHS Specialist and his recent talk on this subject. Let’s hope that my notes are complete enough, my secateurs are sharp and I have the courage to renovate a few overgrown apple trees.
Photo source: www.princeofwales.gov.uk
As we survey the damage wrought by Storm Eunice, do consider planting a replacement tree or two! As part of this year’s Jubilee celebrations, the Queen has announced her Green Canopy campaign – a unique tree planting initiative to mark her Platinum Jubilee. You are invited to plant a tree (the official planting season is October to March). If you missed this session, planting will commence again in October through to the end of the Jubilee year next February. This initiative provides an opportunity for each of us to plant a tree, benefitting future generations. For more information visit: www.queensgreencanopy.org
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