15 July 2010 07:53:25
Weeping willow planted 5 years ago (2005)
Got back home to see the cottage and garden in June. My thoughts on establishing shelter have not changed. It takes a lot of time!! That being said I'm happy to see the hedgerows starting to bulk up but there are always setbacks.
The pines planted on the wet ground were doing terrific, growing up to 12-15ft, but they got levelled over the winter by some really nasty northern winds. I still dragged them off the ground and re-tied them to stakes. The "basal sweep" that effects pines is a big problem but when failure is not an option, just pick them back up, re-stake & re-tie them and hope for the best recovery possible.
Of the broadleaves, the alders are proving to be the most resilient. Despite several setbacks through windburn, the sycamores & ash trees are still getting bigger, albeit slowly. The birches are doing OK but a couple of losses of fairly large birches surprised me.
By the looks of things, 3 years of managing the current groups of hedgerows and adding another two hedgerows will see me in good standing for the "sexy" large scale landscaping project I fantasise about...in 8-10 years time. Yes, it looks like being a retirment project!!