The gardener's eye

The Gardener's Eye

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Pruning Inspiration From Pack Monadnock

Gnarly Oaks at the Peak of Pack Monadnock

The silhouette of Oaks in the Direction of Mount Washinghton

A Crabapple tree that was on the Property when we bought the House in 1989

Magnolia sieboldii Artfully (I hope) pruned

Limbed up Cornus officinalis

I hike Pack Monadnock, a mountain near my house, about 5 or 6 mornings a week. It is a 1.3 mile march up the road to the peak of the mountain--I think of it as my personal outdoor stair-master. At the top of Pack, there is a group of oak trees that, due to the extreme weather, have never gotten a chance to reach their mature size and have developed a gnarly shape over the years. I love the silhouette they produce in the sky. I often refer to my memory of them as I am pruning the small trees in my garden. Now that the leaves have fallen off the trees, it is an excellent time to evaluate the lines of the trunks and make some adjustments in order to make the branches on the trees just a little more intriguing.



5 comments:

  1. Hi Michael. Love this post! Love those trees! And am envious of your energy reservoir, climbing Pack almost every day!

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  2. Thanks, Joe. I never get tired of seeing those oak trees at the top of Pack. They are magnificent in every season, just like the best gardens.

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  3. I like that you translate your work from nature, Michael. You seem to be honouring it, which to me is something a gardener needs to do to get under fashion.

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  4. Hi Michael, A very inspiring post. I love trees that survive at the tops of mountains, they adapt in such beautiful and efficient ways. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Thanks, Faisal. When I am uncertain about what to do in the garden, nature always is the best inspiration.

    Hi Helen, I also love the weathered trees at the peak of mountains. Much better than a perfect tree from a nursery. Good to hear from you.

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