Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Lombardy poplar, Nature, Trees, Victoria Park on January 14, 2022| 2 Comments »
The Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Victoria Park, Cardiff, a year ago
It’s a new year and time to draw a line under the tree I followed last year – a Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Victoria Park, Cardiff – and to move on to a new subject for observation, which will be a tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera‘ also in Victoria Park.
You can find all my Lombardy poplar posts here but these are some of my pictures showing how the tree changed through the seasons. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Trees on January 7, 2022| 8 Comments »
A magnificent tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Victoria Park, Cardiff
Well, here we are again as we start another year of tree-following. If you are an existing follower I do hope you will continue in 2022 but new enthusiasts are also very welcome to join us.
The monthly link box is now open for contributions and will stay open until 7pm GMT on January 14.
Some of you may be choosing a new tree in January, some may leave it until spring, but any time of year is fine.
I intend to use January to look back at the 2021 of my Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park before launching my new tree in February. Although I had hoped to find a subject in a different park, I have been smitten by the tulip tree pictured above, so I will be going back to Victoria Park yet again.
I wonder what all you regular tree followers are up to? I’m sure you will have something new to report. Point to any tree-related post you would like to share, using the link box below. And please don’t forget to leave a comment.
If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here, although I appreciate that I must update that page when I have the chance!
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Tree News, Trees on December 31, 2021| 3 Comments »
A game-changing year for trees?
It’s not every year that firefighters wrap the world’s largest living tree in an oversized aluminium blanket, notes Vox…
Here is another (very occasional) round-up of tree news articles from around the world – first one since April!
There are reasons. The only real news in the world this year has been Covid-19. This has squeezed out some of the more wacky stories I would previously have noticed.
I have been busy but I am also disillusioned. So many tree stories are either tragic tree disease and felling or attempts to plant, plant, plant. Not much new there.
To cap everything, it is very annoying that every story I point to asks you to accept cookies before you proceed and I know this puts off a lot of readers. So whether I continue with this theme is uncertain.
But for now click on each of the pictures if you would like to see the full stories.
Lone hawthorn on a beach is UK’s best
The Woodland Trust has named the Kippford hawthorn on a windswept cockleshell beach in Dumfries & Galloway as the British Tree of the Year…
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Lombardy poplar, Nature, Trees, Victoria Park on December 14, 2021| 4 Comments »
Afternoon shadow of the Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Victoria Park, Cardiff
I was up against it this time in trying to find an opportunity to visit the Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) I am following in Victoria Park, Cardiff. It has been quite wet and windy in the last month but when the sun shines it is glorious.
I managed to grab a moment with the tree on Friday afternoon as the sun was already low in the sky and the shadows were stretching out across the grass. It seemed sad and appropriate as it was the last time I would focus on this particular tree.
My abiding memory of this occasion was a grey squirrel that gazed down at me from a low branch on the tree throughout my whole visit.
Here are my pictures: (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, tagged Nature, Trees on December 7, 2021| 8 Comments »
Last of the colour – a maple in late November
For the last time in 2021 the monthly tree-following link box is open for contributions. It will stay open for your tree-related links until 7pm GMT on December 14.
Here in Cardiff late November and early December have been mostly cold, wet and sometimes very windy.
During the next week I hope to visit the Lombardy poplar tree I am monitoring in Victoria Park, not too far from home, but I wonder what the rest of you tree followers are up to?
I’m sure you will have something new to report. Any tree-related post is acceptable from contributors old and new.
Point to the post you would like to share, using the link box below. And please don’t forget to leave a comment.
If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here.
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged autumn, Nature, Trees, Victoria Park on November 30, 2021| 6 Comments »
Looking up at the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Victoria Park
On my November visit to Cardiff’s Victoria Park two trees particularly caught my attention for their autumn colour, so I thought I would give them a blog post of their own. (more…)
Posted in Garden visits, Gardening, Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged autumn, Nature, Trees, Victoria Park on November 21, 2021| 2 Comments »
Fallen maple leaves in Victoria Park
As usual I took some general photos of Victoria Park when I visited for the monthly tree-following inspection of my Lombardy poplar. I have not seen such excellent autumn colour for years. For the last couple of months we have had mostly mild weather and a mixture of sunshine and rain, with no early frosts. This must have been favourable for the display.
Here are my latest pictures – although I have also saved a couple of particularly good trees for a separate blog post… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Lombardy poplar, Nature, Trees, Victoria Park on November 14, 2021| 8 Comments »
Leaves on the pavement from the Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Victoria Park, Cardiff
The days are growing short here in South Wales and the ground is sodden with recent weeks of rain.
But the weather brightened enough on my day off this week to visit the Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) I am following in Victoria Park, Cardiff.
There are still small yellow leaves attached to the branches and even one or two still green.
Here are my pictures: (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Trees on November 7, 2021| 12 Comments »
A cherry tree in my neighbour’s garden in late October
It’s that time again for the monthly tree-following link box, which will stay open for your tree-related links until 7pm GMT on November 14.
Here in Cardiff October was very wet – and cold as well – although November has started with a few fine days.
During the next week I hope to visit the Lombardy poplar tree I am monitoring in Victoria Park, not too far from home, but I wonder what the rest of you tree followers are up to?
I’m sure you will have something new to report. Any tree-related post is acceptable from contributors old and new.
Point to the post you would like to share, using the link box below. And please don’t forget to leave a comment.
If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here.
Posted in Garden visits, Gardening, Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged autumn, Nature, Trees, Victoria Park on October 28, 2021| 4 Comments »
A grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) among fallen chestnut leaves in Victoria Park, Cardiff
Autumn is well under way in Cardiff’s Victoria Park and the trees have come into their own. Meanwhile the parks staff have cleared out all of the flower beds to prepare them for next spring. What a difference from the colourful displays of September (see my previous post here). These are my October images… (more…)
The Squirrelbasket 