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The Sycamores are the only original trees on the site, and they are magnificent old things. Unfortunately,
I tend to take photographs only when there is snow and rather overlook the beauty of them in their natural state.
Two trees stand on the garden wall and set the environment for a long section of border. It is wonderfully relaxing to look through them
out over the fields to the hilltops.
That moment in May when all the old flowers fall off and strew the mossy ground. They are more welcome than the seeds will be in November. Trees and Shrubs online says: "The most common European species of maple and designated as the type species of the genus by Linnaeus, Acer pseudoplatanus is primarily a mountain species, often growing on calcaerous substrates and, in central Europe, often in Fagus sylvatica forests (Binggeli 1994). It is certainly an opportunistic species, operating as a pioneer at least in part, while also proving long-lived in many situations. Given its broad ecological amplitude, it is unsurprising that it fares very well in many regions outside its native range. Indeed, whether it may or may not be native to Britain has been the source of much debate, though as Johnson (2015) states, its status can neither be proved or disproved. Whenever, and however it got to Britain it is now the most widely distributed of all trees, occurring in almost every part of the country, including Shetland, where it is the only successful deciduous tree (Stace & Crawley 2015). The species is impressively tolerant of exposed sites, including maritime conditions. Windblown, heavily stunted trees, often make valuable windbreaks along parts of the British coastline and in many places form the all important first line of defence against salt-laden sea winds. This resistance is all the more interesting given that it is not accustomed to these conditions within its accepted native range." |
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| 3rd February 2009 | ||
