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Veddw may not be an over gardened zone, but it does make demands. Last year three full grown trees – cotoneasters – died and had to be removed. A huge job and many thanks to Jeff for doing all that work.

That disaster was then followed by heavy snow – about 10 or 12 inches. (the joy of no editor: we can have inches, feet and yards here!).

Snow at Veddw copyright Anne Wareham

Snow…frozen on stems.

 

The snow brought down the hollies which were planted in amongst the cotoneasters because they were suddenly without the support which had previously surrounded them. Squashed holly, all tangled up in remains of cotoneaster and vast amounts of flattened chaenomeles.

It was a miserable and frightening sight. This time we all had to get in to it, though Jeff and Charles did the majority (within a week I was also ill, and was sickening at the time). We hired a shedder – moving the stuff to the bonfire site was unthinkable, there was just such a vast amount of branches to cope with. We spent long enough just dragging out tangled branches, half of it on to the meadow. I despaired of clearing it all before the bulbs would be appearing and be trampled on in the work.

But! – the men got through it. Jeff shredded relentlessly – and that was no joke with a big heavy machine like that. Shred shred shred – and eventually it was all reduced to a pile of shreds. I called to halt to a rather over enthusiastic Charles, who was wielding his chain saw at, it appeared, everything, alive or dead.

Daffodils in meadow at Veddw, copyri

Bulbs safely appeared

We cleared up. The bulbs arrived safely untrampled and we are left with – rather a sad absence of things. The hollies will recover and will replace the cotoneaster. I love holly – handsome, shiny evergreens, so I will be happy in the end. Some years hence. At the moment I am looking every day to see if the chaenomeles is going to green up. Some has a lot of green tips, others less…There are gaps, the view has changed and not for the better…

This is where people get all philosophical… Bugger that. It was a great loss- the cotoneasters used to be heavy and bowed down with branches laden with brilliant red berries in winter. The hollies were well grown and handsome. It was horrid, it IS horrid and only time and much mending will make it really right.

And, yes, that was all in addition to having to remove the box balls in the front garden. And – don’t ask….

Don't ask....

Don’t ask….

Good job it’s a big and full garden.

Meadow now Veddw copyright Anne Wareham

Meadow now.

 

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