Did you ever wrap your arms around a felled giant and get up close and personal with it’s roots and heart? The wooden body feels so strong, there are new buds on the tips of it’s branches but the torn roots are dry. This Beech tree will never come into leaf again.
So many fallen trees since the huge storm last month are lying pitifully broken exactly where they landed. Having blogged my nightmarish journey home during the big wind, I’m still checking out trees I know and finding they are gone. This beauty is lying on the front lawn of Mount Congreve one of many lost there over the winter.
I photograph it’s awkward sprawl and then the daffodils blooming around the gaping hole where it once stood magnificent.
The top picture is extraordinary.
Thanks Esther, a bit of tricky perspective!
What a sorrowful sight. When nature truly strikes we humans are utterly powerless. I hope you gave the tree a good hug so that you could feel its strength.It looks like the side of an elephant. So majestic.
Teresa Maria I did I gave it many big hugs……so nice……
This is quite a sad photo, something so big and full of life looks wrong on the ground.. On the up side if they leave it to rott down, it will carry on supporting life.
Amanda it is sad and so many came down before their time……..
Interestingly Catherine, when Ambrose started his garden almost 100 years ago, the first thing he did was to fell a lot of the trees that were there, it let in the light to start planting his grand scheme. Seems it's also natures way of giving other, smaller plants a chance.
Well that's a positive way of looking at it George!
I lost a tree this year–a Japanese Maple–to a virus called verticilium wilt. We had to take the tree down last week after giving it a full cycle in which to watch it's growth…or not. This Maple was named Pearl, and was special to us because she was tiny when we moved into our home twenty-five years ago and when she was brought down, she was a gorgeous, impressive (and deep orange red in the fall!) specimen of a JM. I had a watercolor of Pearl that I put on my book. All in all, the loss of her made me just weep. But we put in a new tree a few days ago and I had the strong feeling we were planting this tree for the children who would have their picnics under her shelter in due time. They say you plant trees for those who come after. I couldn't go outside for the first day. Then Paddy took my hand and said we should welcome the new tree. He said: "We don't know her yet, so we can just call her Beautiful."
Paddy seems to have a great way of always getting to the heart of the matter Susie……
Wonderful pictures and thoughts, Catherine. One thing Nature has is time – time for the daffodil to sprout up and to perhaps cast a little cool shadow of moist light in which the seed of the next giant tree can emerge and take hopeful root
Perfectly said……
To me, these "felled giants" are beautiful even as they lie there, offering a play- and breeding ground for all kinds of little furry animals, insects and children!
Ah true…..especially the furry animals and women with cameras too…….
First picture is great, yet strange, a tree is not supposed to lie on the ground.
I know it is strange to encounter one lying down like that and right now there are so many……..
Maybe something can be made from the wood one day. A reminder of the power of nature and how, sometimes, things just have to 'be'.It is sad though to lose these giants.
Always lovely to hold a wooden object isn't it and to remember where it came from?
Catherine, I'm wondering if you would be interested in following what happens to this tree next as part of the Loose and Leafy Tree Following Project. There's information here – http://looseandleafy.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-tree-following-and-list-of-tree.html
I love your project and I follow it every year Lucy. I wish I had many more hours in the day and I would join you for sure!!!
I always find it terribly sad when I see a fallen tree – how many years did it take to achieve this great size – how many people have marvelled – how many have found comfort in its shade – the things it must have lived through – now no more – so sad.
We are all just walking each other home……heard that quote recently, even applies to trees I think……..