weekend warrior

Cutting tree limbs is tough work. At some point later, after spending a day cutting limbs, I discover scratches and bruises on hands, arms and legs.

Today, I cut several smaller branches and limbs on my sweetgum and a maple tree in the front yard, as well as providing a general shaping to a redbud.

In lieu of cutting major limbs, I chose to to clip smaller branches. The effect was positive, either reducing weight on limbs, causing them to raise higher, or in opening up space for more reflected light or dappled sunlight.

This is raising the canopy of the trees by a do-it-yourselfer who tried to be conservative and thoughtful in the process.

The end result is more light, a boon to my sunloving perennials in my borders, and little more light to my shade garden, where it was getting too dark (and dry) as a result of the thick canopy of leaves and branches.

I think obstructions to the eye, an important feature of any garden, work better coming from the ground up, than from the sky down. Hence, hanging branches can confuse the garden view. Opening up the high middle space of air between plants on the ground and the overhanging branches gives the garden an easier, roomier feel ... at least to my eye.