Between work, study, holidays and life in general, the garden has taken a back seat I'm afraid. We did however manage to finish pulling down the tree.
The upper most part of the tree proved to be a little more difficult than imagined as we had weekend after weekend of windy weather. What seems like a breeze at ground level feels like a gust at 30ft!
These huge cones were the size of The Man That Can's hands. I'm not sure that they liked being messed with either. They really are as spikey as they look and if that's not enough to put you off, they were extremely sticky. The sap from the branches doesn't come out with your average wash either!
The final cut was a tricky one. We strapped rope to it, and with me pulling with all my weight and The Man That Can doing his best impression of a tree surgeon, we brought the final limb crashing to the ground....
...Missing the greenhouse by a gnat's breath! I think it was the scariest thing we have ever done in the garden!
Of course once it's on the ground, then it needs cutting into bite sized pieces in preparation for disposal.
Not a very old tree by all accounts, despite its grand size.
Now all we need to do is tidy up the 'dead' area. The idea is to grow ivy up wire fencing to create an evergreen screen.
It's safe for the girls to come out and play again now. (L-R) Hedwig, Lola and Fawkes.
As winter approaches and tales told of another early and harsh winter, we have taken the opportunity to move the hen house back up to the yard, closer to the house while we have the time.
The first frosts are due this week, so if you haven't already, try to bring in your tender perennials. Once you've had your first frost, it's time to plant out your tulips. I had a huge bag gifted to me last month. Proper Dutch Bulbs, direct from The Netherlands and our Dutch friends!
The upper most part of the tree proved to be a little more difficult than imagined as we had weekend after weekend of windy weather. What seems like a breeze at ground level feels like a gust at 30ft!
These huge cones were the size of The Man That Can's hands. I'm not sure that they liked being messed with either. They really are as spikey as they look and if that's not enough to put you off, they were extremely sticky. The sap from the branches doesn't come out with your average wash either!
The final cut was a tricky one. We strapped rope to it, and with me pulling with all my weight and The Man That Can doing his best impression of a tree surgeon, we brought the final limb crashing to the ground....
...Missing the greenhouse by a gnat's breath! I think it was the scariest thing we have ever done in the garden!
Of course once it's on the ground, then it needs cutting into bite sized pieces in preparation for disposal.
Not a very old tree by all accounts, despite its grand size.
Now all we need to do is tidy up the 'dead' area. The idea is to grow ivy up wire fencing to create an evergreen screen.
It's safe for the girls to come out and play again now. (L-R) Hedwig, Lola and Fawkes.
As winter approaches and tales told of another early and harsh winter, we have taken the opportunity to move the hen house back up to the yard, closer to the house while we have the time.
The first frosts are due this week, so if you haven't already, try to bring in your tender perennials. Once you've had your first frost, it's time to plant out your tulips. I had a huge bag gifted to me last month. Proper Dutch Bulbs, direct from The Netherlands and our Dutch friends!
