2022 tree following 1: The year of the Lombardy poplar

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.

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Tree following link box for January 2022

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!

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Introducing Snapshots of the Day

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) in my Cardiff garden today – slightly out of focus but at last I caught it on camera…

I had considered posting an image every day in 2022 but that’s never going to happen. So I have decided on an occasional item as often as I can manage it. I have missed my chance over the last couple of hectic weeks so before I start this project properly, here is a catch-up of pictures I would have published one-by-one, had I not been too busy…

January 6, 2022: A red dawn today before a cold rain began

January 5, 2022: Frosted moss on the roof

New Year’s Eve, 2021: A festive snowman decoration

Boxing Day, 2021: Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) in the garden

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News from the world of trees 2021 #2

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…

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Merry Christmas everyone!

This is my favourite from the cards I sent out this Christmas – I don’t know why I tend to choose a hare image every time! It’s Winter Garden – Hare – by Deva Evans for the RSPB https://www.rspb.org.uk

After another depressing year living with Covid let’s try to take some cheer from the Christmas cards we have received…

Again the cards seem a bit subdued, but maybe that’s just my mood. Anyway, here are some of the designs that caught my eye. As usual, click on the image to go to the source, especially if it’s a charity.

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2021 tree following 12: Casting a long shadow

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:

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Two magnificent golden trees of autumn

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.

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Victoria Park: A very colourful autumn

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…

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2021 tree following 11: Fading away

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:

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Tree following link box for November 2021

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.

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