Farewell

Funeral Flowers?

Doc chopped down our beautiful column ornamental cherry tree this morning.  He said that wielding the axe felt even more savage because the tree was just coming into flower.  He came in from the garden, carrying an armful of branches bursting with pink blooms.  We put the branches in a vase and now the hall is filled with a delicate fragrance.  

There is a lesson to be learned from this sadness.  If you plant a tree you are investing in the future and planting something that will take a long time to mature.  All the more reason to think carefully what you plant and where you plant it.  Think how big it will grow, what the spread will be and how it fits into the landscape of the garden.  It is not a decision to be taken lightly. 

Our cherry tree was simply outgrowing its space and planted so close to the boundary and high hedge beyond, it was straining to get to the light and bending instead of growing upright.  It did not look right at all. It had to go.

We shall of course plant another tree, but somewhere else.  There are so many moderately sized ornamental trees.  We have a fruiting espalier cherry tree in the vegetable garden but I would like to replace the ornamental cherry tree.  We will probably never see a new specimen reach its maturity, but that is a good gardener's lot.  We will leave something good behind.

I spotted some fritillaries underneath the new damson tree in the orchard, nestling alongside some grape hyacinths.  They helped lift our spirits.  I am glad today has something positive in it.