HOW COULD I ABANDON A SYCAMORE?

This is the elder, I'm following . . .

. . . but how could I abandon last year's tree? I've been following it for several years.

So I went back for a catch-up visit.

Near enough, everything's the same with the sycamore. But that, in its way, is inspiring. It's probably one of the things we look for in a mature tree. Its solidity. It's bound-to-be-there-ness.

And that is true of this.

Its trunks will hardly dwindle. Even if the tree were to die - they'd still be there.

The path beyond might have changed - but it hasn't!

Here it is now . . .

and . . .

here it was in February 2011.

In this picture, the tree itself is in the right of the frame. In the 2012 photo (above) we are a little further along. But give it a couple of seconds and you'll get your bearing.

The Asplenium scolopendrium (Hart's Tongue Fern) is still below it, a few feet down the bank. It looked a bit tired last year, but it's come through the winter refreshed.

Can't all be easy sailing for the sycamore. One of its twigs has fallen - but it has many to spare!

And, between its toes, our old friend from last year (and the year before!) the Arum maculatum - fresh and new and green and . . . yes! still there!

Arum Maculatum
 is also known as 'Lords and Ladies'
and 'Jack in the Pulpit'. 

This was what it looked like for the post of February 7th 2011. Further ahead than it is at present - which surprised me. (You can see the whole post about the tree as it was last February HERE.)

I'm a tree follower - what about you?

BLOGS FOLLOWING TREES

Patio Patch - Wych Elm - Ulmus glabra‘Camperdownii’

Welsh Hills Again - Horse Chestnut

Garden’s Eye View

Windy Willow

The Blackberry Garden

Moongazy Girl - is also following a Horse Chestnut - click HERE for her first tree-following post.

Gardening Ways - First Post in a Series about Gary's chosen tree - a magnificent plane at Compton Verney in Warwickshire.

Small Matters

Tree Care Tips

Gill Heavens of On the Edge Gardening has posted an Introduction to the trees she will be following this year at  - Lime (Tilia x europaea) and Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica “Atropurpurea”)

Arigna Gardener - Twisted Willow - Introduction 

Hyde Daily Photo - The Tree Un-named - Two Posts . . .
. . . The Bottom of a Tree and The Top of a Tree (with the middle HERE!)
Down by the Sea

Let me know if you would like your blog added to the list - either by leaving a note in comments or email me at looseandleafy@googlemail.com

Ditto, let me know whenever you post about ‘your tree’ and I'll put an updated link to it here.

And

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GUTTERS AND DRAINS

A couple of weeks ago, thieves stole gratings from gutters, one from here, one from there in at least three places.

Asplenium scolopendrium
in an uncovered drain.

Anyone might have stepped off the kerb into watery and frightening discomfort or terrible pain. Having avoided the peril, my interest was trivial - there were ferns in there - ferns I would never have been aware of otherwise.

Hopefully, we are coming to the end of rain and drizzle (alternating with shivering cold) and I’ll go back to clambering up and down no-longer-muddy banks and thrusting my camera confidently into non-wet bushes and under non-dripping leaves. In the short term - urban plants are getting more of a look-in.

The surprise find of a fern-in-a-hole sent me to look in other drains and gutters and to search through old photos too.

Asplenium scolopendrium
where there used to be a down-pipe.
December 12th 2010

Like this. Here is a fern in the narrow space where a down-pipe used to be between a door and a pavement.

Buddleia - December 12th 2010

On the buildings opposite, high up, a buddleia grows from a cluster of pipes.

In January, gutters running with water have been keeping plants green. I’m surprised they haven’t turned to mush. There are times when they have been submerged by water rushing towards drains.

Sagina Subulata (Irish Moss) (I think) Centre. Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) to its left. Cleavers (Galium aparine) (top centre) with what appears to be some kind of squash sprout in front of it but probably isn't! Top right - some kind of dandelion style plant. There's also a seedling in front of the groundsel that looks more like onion than grass and could be a wild chive (Allium schoenoprasum).
January 17th 2011

Come summer, I expect them still to be there when all moisture is gone, happily growing in these almost soil-less places. Not only that, many of them will be flowering. These are tough plants of extremes. Why are they not showered with more admiration? Mostly, they are simply trodden upon.

A plant I don't like (how's that for science?) with Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) (top left) (I think) and a Willow Herb (I think)(top right).
January 17th 2011

It’s swinging between stormy sunshine and dullness today. This morning, sparrows were twittering energetically and a collar-dove was chuntering on . . . and on . . .

It is half past two as I write. The sun has come out and the birds have mostly stopped. I can hear cars in the distance. A flock of racing pigeons is taking its exercise in circles against a blue-ing up sky.

(It won’t last.)

(She says grumpily!)