Betula pendula (silver birch)

[socks 32,253]

2 hours ago, TOMO said:

have you made a canoe out of it yet?? 

Obviously …

[Borr 6,363]

My favourite trees , just remind me of dappled shade in the summer with a gentle breeze blowing through them, used to sit under a wonderful one, blasting squirrels out of the opposite hazel and oaks...

[Chid 6,598]

3 hours ago, gnipper said:

Good luck. Birch are quite shallow rooted so probably would raise your lawn etc. If I were going for a birch I'd choose a nice betula jacquemontii or a nigra. 

Jacquemontii must be one of the most popular trees , we must of sold about 80-100 a year at the garden centre I worked at 

[gnipper 6,534]

I wish I had a quid for each one I've dug up in the past 20 years mate

[Waz 4,266]

This one has shot up.

1 of my favourite trees, I try and get a drop of sap every year when I remember.

[Bosun11 537]

21 hours ago, TOMO said:

must admit i fancy doing that thing with apple and pears where they train the branches along wires next to a wall or fence ...makes them easy to prune and collect fruit...plus both have great blossom in spring 

I've not done the wire thing with fruit trees (there's a name for it) but I now give my old apple tree a prune to stop anything growing vertical. I take off everything growing up twice a year, keeping all horizontal branches and tie some in, to force growth that way. It's an old tree, in a 1930's ex Corpy house, so I think they were put in when built as there 'was' one in every garden.

I think it looks great in the garden now, much better than the straggling verticle branches it once had, and the fruit up in the gods.

Both in blossom and full fruit its stunning, everything is hand packable and the best fruit never drops and spoils. The yeald has doubled too, which is great as they are a cracking eat.

I'll get some pictures today