The Wharf – all that remains

Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) on the Wharf in Cardiff Bay

There was not a lot to see on my latest walk around the Wharf (former Bute East Dock) in Cardiff Bay – at least in terms of vegetation. I found that someone had hacked back most of the bushes and perennials on the far side from my office in County Hall. Even the gorse I had looked forward to seeing in its golden glory had gone.

But there were some small pleasures. These pictures were taken on January 17…

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2019 tree following 2: The Mermaid Quay plane

I caught sight of the Moon through the branches of my new tree-following subject when I visited at lunchtime on February 11

At last, my decision has been made. After much dithering I have chosen the London plane in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, as my tree-following subject for 2019. The Latin name is either Platanus × acerifolia or Platanus × hispanica.

Will the tree still be standing at the end of the year? Who knows? There is so much change going on in this area that you can never be too sure. The day before I visited to take these pictures I saw a smaller street tree nearby was being cut back to a stump.

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Tree following link box for February 2019

Ivy on the shiny bark of a cherry tree (Prunus) in January 2019

The tree-following link box has now closed for another month. To explore everyone’s updates, please go straight to the bottom of this post.

If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here.

It’s not like a new year resolution. you can start at any time. So why not join us? Point us to any tree-related post you would like to share, using the link box published on the 7th of each month and lasting for a week.

In Cardiff it has been a frosty month but there have been wet weeks and one night snow fell an inch thick on the ground – although it had melted away again by the middle of the next day.

Some tree followers have already chosen their subject for 2019, while some have yet to decide. Here are their all-important links…

Erika Groth in Sweden – aspens

Frances at Island Threads, off the North West coast of Scotland – hawthorn

Flighty’s Plot – Liz’s witch hazel in Lexington, Kentucky, and Mike’s apple tree

Anima Monday – Austin’s Treaty Oak

Alison at the Blackberry Garden – cold Quince

Pat – Squirrelbasket – London plane

Hollis (In the Company of Plants and Rocks) – searching for the right tree on the University of Wyoming campus

Andrew – Kind Hearts and Corydalis – oak

We always love to read your tree news – so thank you to everyone who contributed this month. See you all again on March 7. Why not join us and follow a tree throughout the year? Although we all try to publish every month, we are very forgiving if you post less often.

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2019 tree following 1: The shortlist

Three trees I am thinking of following in 2019

The time has come to choose a new tree to follow during 2019. I know some other tree followers are also making their decision in January. When the trees are dormant it seems a reasonable time to pick one – although not always a good time to recognise its species.

At this point I must say thank you once again to Lucy Corrander, formerly of Dorset and now living in Halifax, who introduced me to tree following five years ago. She is in hospital being treated for a serious illness as the moment, so I wish her well.

For the first three years certain Cardiff trees reached out to me and I never regretted following them. These were a hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) in Llandaff Fields, an empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa) in Bute Park and an oak (Quercus robur) in Thompson’s Park.

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Tree following link box for January 2019

A very small Christmas tree in a garden in Cardiff Bay

The tree-following link box has now closed for another month. To explore everyone’s updates, please go straight to the bottom of this post.

If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here.

It’s not like a new year resolution. you can start at any time. So why not join us? Point us to any tree-related post you would like to share, using the link box published on the 7th of each month and lasting for a week.

January took me by surprise – so I must apologise for being 12 hours or so late when I first published this post. You know how it is after Christmas and New Year – I had completely forgotten the date and even the day of the week!

Some tree followers have already chosen their subject for 2019, while some are at the shortlist stage. Here are the links…

Erika Groth in Sweden – aspen

Alison at the Blackberry Garden – Quince – the quiet one

Flighty’s Plot – Liz’s witch hazel in Lexington, Kentucky, and Mike’s apple tree

Frances at Island Threads, off the North West coast of Scotland – looking for a new tree

Hollis (In the Company of Plants and Rocks) – in search of a tree

Pat – Squirrelbasket – the shortlist

We always love to read your tree news – so thank you to everyone who contributed this month. See you all again on February 7 – and maybe some new converts?

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The Wharf in midwinter

Looking across the Wharf on Christmas Eve, with golden willow leaves in the foreground

It seems a long time ago now, but on Christmas Eve I went for my regular walk around the Wharf (former Bute East Dock) alongside my workplace at County Hall in Cardiff Bay. Although it is the middle of winter there was still plenty to see…

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2018 tree following 11: Year of the linden

The branches of the linden tree beside The Wharf in Cardiff Bay in February this year

Every year I put together a round-up of images of the seasons of the tree I am following, but sometimes I do this in December and sometimes January.

This time I am choosing December as the small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata) I am following beside The Wharf in Cardiff Bay has shut down for winter and in January it will be time to move on and consider another tree to visit during 2019.

I’m not sure the linden I have followed has been as spectacular as my previous choices, listed at the end of this blog post, but this species is so common on the streets of Cardiff that it merited some attention.

For the record, here are some of my images from 2018…

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