In the summer of 2006, almost as soon as we closed on Rosslyn, I moved chainsaw, pole saw, and loppers into the primitive storage room that would eventually be transformed into our living room. During those first exploratory days, familiarizing myself with the property that would become our home but still felt alien and unhomelike, I fell back on the familiarity of plants and trees to help me become better acquainted. Step one: tree trim.
A “haircut” I called it today when I outlined the scope of work for Tony this morning. The American Linden (aka basswood) growing east of the icehouse was already overdue for a tree trim, and recent storm damage only added to the challenge with broken branches and browning leaves.
Glen joined us as we reviewed general guidelines for what and how I wanted to proceed including tuning up the bottom of the canopy, eliminating waterspouts, culling broken branches, etc. I used the extension pole saw and long distance pruners to demonstrate how I would work my way through the canopy, explaining as I removed branches and small limbs. I encouraged them to step away from their work to evaluate the tree from multiple angles before continuing. Prune and look, prune and look. Different perspectives reveal different things. Always better double and triple check before trimming. After all, it’s tough to reattach a mistake!
Once the American Linden looked tidy again Tony moved on to the sugar maple that grows mid-lawn, just downhill from the stone wall. A smaller tree and project, but a similar challenge. Slow and steady, gradually whittling down bigger branches, ensuring that they don’t crush the peonies of the daylilies when they fall.
And by this afternoon, those two trees look tidy enough to highlight others in need of attention. Well done, Tony!
What do you think?