Trees

There are two things that I adore. Trees and Chester-le-Street. I love them both but if you were to make me choose between them trees would always win. There is something mystical and transfixing about trees that I really love. They are massive. They are sensible enough to cut back on energy use in the winter and then when the warmer weather starts up they will then burst back into life.

I have two trees in my garden the first is a cherry tree that was planted in the year that I moved to my current house. It faithfully blossoms each year and provides rest and space for some of the visiting birds within the garden.

The other tree is a Victoria plum. I bought it years ago from a garden centre who were selling them off cheaply as the poor thing looked like it was on its last legs. It has thrived in my garden and each year displays the most beautiful of blossom. It provides me with satisfaction knowing that I could grow a plum tree well despite my parents telling me years ago that the north east climate was too cold to sustain a fruit baring tree.

It was this in mind I was intrigued to read in the Chester-le-Street Advertiser that land that once held the local voluntary bureau and other charitable organisations was being sold off and that a construction company was going to build houses. My concern is that the beautiful trees that grow there will be cut down or mauled as they have been previously in other areas that Durham County council have sold.

You can see here the trees that stand on this plot and some of them have been clearly marked by spray paint.

Here you can also see the outcome of the council decimating the trees that once stood on land that occupied a council run nursing home. I hope that the council will think clearly about the impact that this causes on the aesthetics and most importantly the environment in Chester-le-Street.

These trees could survive this mauling but I believe there future has already been earmarked. I would like my town to look like the trees that stand opposite the closed nursing home rather that a post-apocalyptic war zone.

My garden June 2015 (2)

I got some of the way into the garden then the weather change. As British weather always seems to do. It went cold and rainy. That’s a good thing as there is a lot of dead dry grass that needs to be raked from this lawn to allow the new shoots to grow. If I didn’t it would just look rather poorly and unloved. The only thing about raking out the dead grass is that it leaves the lawn looking very patchy.

It’s suppose to go back to sunny days this week and hopefully I will be able to crack on and get things presentable for my birthdays next week. On my 40th I sat in the garden and enjoyed a bottle of champagne. No party or silliness. Just myself, the garden and a bottle of bubbly. This is what intend to do for birthday. Forty five! I never even thought I would get to thirty never mind this age. But I do love being this old. It means you have lived but you still potentially have a lot more to give.

My garden June 2015

It may look romantic but it’s a mess. For most reasons people know I haven’t been able to spend quality time in my garden. In fact anytime in my garden. So grass has grown tall and the brambles have taken over the pond and the shed. Plus the ivy that once was a single strand that my mother gave me makes the day of the triffids seem like topiary.

I have been doing some research and checking out local garden centres and nurseries the quality and price vary quite a lot.

I have started strimming and tidying. I am trying to keep my neighbours happy though. Two doors along the new neighbour is ripping his house apart to the diggers and heavy machinery start at 9am and it would be unfair of me to make noise at any other time. Usually this street is very quiet. Nothing but the birds singing and the sound of the ball hitting the cricket bat.

poppy 2