When 5, which is 6 becomes 8

by | Aug 23, 2020 | Nature, Trees

I have a wisteria that grows and grows, but where it goes nobody knows. I train it and shape it to follow a plan but it still it grows to follow its nose… and I don’t know why. As a self-respecting arborist, I dislike vines – with the exception of grapevines and...

Pruning by numbers

by | Nov 30, 2018 | Nature, Trees

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...

Wicked planting

by | Oct 27, 2018 | Nature, Trees

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...

Too much soil in your soil

by | Sep 30, 2018 | Nature, Trees

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...

Into the rabbit hole

by | Jul 9, 2018 | Nature, Trees

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...