A bit more

Every spring we pollard the three lime trees in the front garden, cutting every small branch off down to the main stem.

It seems a bit drastic, but prompts lovely growth and they quickly achieve a lollipop look. They form part of the character of our wee area, as many houses have them in their gardens and maintain them in the same way.

Over the last couple of years they have put on a little too much height, making the usual pollarding a bit tricky, too much balancing up ladders and hanging from branches.

So this year we decided to take the height down with a power tool. Taking the tops off essentially, and next year the usual pruning process will be easier.

Here are the tops - from just one tree! These big bits have been gathered to make a terrific wood pile in a corner of the back garden behind the lilac tree. The wee creatures will love it.

We also got a stack of small pieces to dry and burn in the chimenea. And all the thin branches have been shredded to make mulch for the borders.

Very satisfying.