Snake Oil is an old-school term for a cure-all potion, that in reality does nothing. If you are lucky the potion won’t make things worse but the chances of it making things better are slim – ‘that which doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’, or in the case of Snake Oil, ‘that which doesn’t kill ...
Of the over 20 or so definitions of risk that exist by far the simplest is; the possibility of losing something of value. In terms of managing risk for health and safety, risk is defined as the likely consequence of a hazard, combined with the likelihood or probability of that hazard occurring. In other words, ...
When a tree falls in a forest it makes a sound, we can be very sure about this – fibres snap and branches break, air is moved and energy released. All of this happens if we are there to hear it or not. Sound is just vibrations in air. But if a tree falls in ...
For the past few months I have been writing pruning specifications, or more correctly I have been removing pruning specifications. I’d love to say it’s a less-is-more situation, but I’ve actually been writing more to inform the reader of less – why less is good. Arboricultural pruning specifications; cleaning, thinning, lifting, seem to date back ...
I bet builders hate home-renovation shows. They must cringe as DIY celebrities Buff and Fluff [skills not included] randomly wave power tools around with seeming disregard to the rules and regulations that professionals must comply with. I also cringe at home-renovation shows. My issue comes not from Buff and Fluff [taste optional] creating indoor-outdoor toilet ...
As I write this, I’m flying back from the UK after attending the Arboricultural Association’s annual conference; Soil and Trees. It was a fantastic conference, well worth the effort and it was truly an honour to be able to speak at it. Soil compaction was a reoccurring theme, and so it should have been. ...
I love the fact that trees don’t read books and that the laws of nature don’t always seem to apply to nature. I love this, and to serve as a constant reminder I have my very own illiterate disobedient tree in my backyard. It is a cutting from an old apple tree. The parent tree ...
Who would have thought the word ‘duff’ could have so many different meanings? I’ve just searched it on the internet and the international variations are quite… extreme. In my mind, ‘up the duff’ was going to be a slightly suggestive heading connecting urban soil to pregnancy; slightly suggestive, in subtle as a brick kind of ...
Many years ago, I met a horse whisperer. I was flying first-class and it was the first time I had been up-front during a long-haul flight. It was an upgrade of an upgrade and I was thoroughly enjoying the experience – as one does when is served pre-take off cocktails while deciding upon wines for ...
I found myself needing to very accurately age some trees. The margin of error required for the work was plus or minus months, not give or take a few years. After trying every conceivable option, including photos, sales records, comparative plantings and saying no, I found an increment borer, made some holes and pulled some ...
