Saturday 8 March 2014

Following a tree …


 

Before I begin can I just say a big ‘thank you’ for all your kind birthday wishes last week.  I will be posting about my birthday treat at the coast a little later.

This year I am joining in with Lucy at Loose and Leafy  choosing a tree to follow throughout the year, recording the changes it goes through each season and photographing it, and its surroundings, every month.  My chosen tree is a SYCAMORE.

sycamore - laughton lane - follow a tree

Here it is – isn’t it a beauty.  I have photographed this tree many times over the years because it is so prominent and our sheep used to graze the field behind it and raise their lambs there, so I saw it practically every day.

sycamore- laughton lane (follow a tree)

Sycamores are mostly self-seeded – they were introduced in medieval times and are not native so are not inhabited by many insects – there are only fifteen types found on a Sycamore compared to two hundred and eighty four on an Oak.

sycamore - laughton lane - follow a tree

Ivy grows up and through it and in the summer Wild Hops, at its base it a huge Holly bush.

sycamore - laughton lane - follow a tree

In the summer the tree drapes itself over the road giving a wonderful tunnel-like view.

sycamore - laughton lane - follow a tree

This is what it looked like last summer.

sycamore - laughton lane - october 2013 - follow a tree

The trunk of the tree is very scaly but the limbs are smooth.

sycamore - laughton lane - follow a tree

I am looking forward to sharing more in-depth posts about my chosen tree.  ‘Til next time – why not follow a tree of your own – a perfect way of getting closer to Nature.

22 comments:

  1. What a lovely idea. Maybe I'll do that next year as I'm running to catch up time with my 100 Flowers blog post :-))))

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  2. My apologies for a belated Happy Birthday!!
    And, i do like the idea of following a tree...

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  3. What a great idea. This is a truly beautiful majestic tree. I'm going to look around for a tree to follow but because I live in the middle of the city don't have really high hopes. Maybe one of the new young trees that they've just planted in the park a couple of blocks over.

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  4. I really like this idea too! You have some very lovely shots here.

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  5. This is a fantastic idea!!! Your tree is stunning in every way! I love the story it tells through its rambling branches! I can't wait to see how it changes through the seasons! A wonderful weekend to you! Nicole

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  6. We have a HUGE Oak that we named 'The Royal Oak' in honour of the jubilee. I expect I feel much the same about it as you do with your Sycamore. Lovely tree.

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  7. That is a great idea and such a wonderful tree! So many of our trees have been lost this year across the country so it is good to record them in this way and appreciate them whilst we can:)

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  8. Look forward to hearing about your coastal birthday treat Elaine, and you never know, perhaps you will help me develop a love of sycamores. There are loads on our small estate, several of which shade my cedar greenhouse and I can attest to the efficiency of their self seeding habit, each year sees me pulling up great handfuls! Yours has a wonderfully rich little ecosystem surrounding it.

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  9. What a character Elaine. I have mixed feelings about sycamores as there is one nearby and I'm always cursing it when I have to pull out the seedlings come spring. However we all have our bad habits :) Look forward to reading more about its journey through the year and about your birthday festivities.

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  10. What a brilliant tree - I love sycamores as we used to stand under some at the village bus stop every morning. You have some great pictures already but I look forward to seeing the whole year, including the "whirlybird" seeds...
    All the best :)

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  11. Hello Elaine,

    Your Sycamore looks to be an exceedingly majestic tree. Its size is impressive and the movement in its branches is truly magical. One can but marvel at all the comings and goings that this tree has witnessed over the decades. What fun it will be to chart its progress over the coming year.

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  12. What a wonderful tree you've chosen to follow. I look forward to reading future posts about it and seeing the seasonal changes. Flighty xx

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  13. We had a sycamore at the bottom of our drive at our old house and it was beautiful but used to cover the cars in sticky stuff!!
    It was actually protected in the deeds of the house so we couldnt (even if we had wanted to) do anything to it.

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  14. That's a wonderful tree to follow.I look forward to seeing it in many more posts. Sarah x

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  15. Beautiful tree. I love it's branches. They are so strange and curvy, but I don't think it grows here.

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  16. I love the idea of choosing a tree to follow throughout the year!! What an awesome idea :)

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  17. Lovely photos of the tree. I love passing under trees when they create a tunnel - such a beautiful sight.

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  18. What an enormous Sycamore tree. I think this tree following is a wonderful idea. I shall enjoy reading about your tree' s progress throughout the year.

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  19. That is a rather special tree, I was interested in hearing about the insects that inhabit it too....you'd think by now more would have adapted to it but then evolution is slow.xxx

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  20. I shall learn to love sycamores again through your posts. At the moment I am doing battle with the many thousands of seedlings which spring up in the garden from our neighbours' sycamores. If I miss them at this stage they quickly become very tough to extract.

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  21. I've weeded out my fair share of self seeded sycamores. I didn't realise it was so inhospitable to wildlife.

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  22. What a fabulous idea Elaine. Can't wait to see more of this gorgeous tree in upcoming posts.
    Patricia x

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