Pruning Rage!


Like Plant Mad Nige, I'm feeling a bit peeved at the moment. No, not at farmers like he is, but my local council. It would appear it's our estate's turn to have its public planting tidied up. Don't get me wrong, I usually would approve heartily, but WHY did it have to include all the lovely red berried Guelder-rose providing food for the birds AND all the dogwood and Salix stems that are meant to provide our open spaces around here with some winter interest?

Surely the work plan this time around could have included just a quick tidy up of the dead or dangerous deciduous wood, plus all the evergreen trimming, followed by a visit in late winter (prior to nesting time and after the berries have been eaten) to complete the rest? They've made a good job of the evergreen stuff, even cloud pruning some of the nameless bushes we have - a nice touch above the ordinary don't you think? BUT we do have mass plantings of gold, green and red stems, which a couple of days ago were lighting up the gloom at three to four foot high, but now stand at a very battered and bruised one foot instead. I think someone somewhere's missed the point of what the planting's meant to be doing. If I'm missing the point on what the council's doing, please let me know.

I do understand our hard-pressed council have to look after Chippenham's open spaces on a rota basis, but surely it won't cost much more to schedule two visits? After all, there must be another part of Chippenham that's not getting its evergreens cut back at the optimum time of year.

Excuse me whilst I go and pop a more constructive version of this rant in the post...

Comments

  1. Sol30 November 2008 at 16:50

    Near my parents they drive tractor mowers over the grass area, tat just happens to have wild orchids in it. It drives my parents nuts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. VP30 November 2008 at 16:56

    Hi SOL - there's massive tyre marks in the grass here too, but luckily (or unluckily depending on your point of view) no orchids. They do start cutting the grass area with the daffodils too early though :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous30 November 2008 at 17:17

    Oh how maddening! Education is the answer. If they knew that there is a reason to leave those lovely stalks and bird habitat and food, maybe they would rethink the scheduling. Ignorance is what is behind it. Maybe petitions of mass emailing of irate residents would open their eyes.

    Frances

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sol30 November 2008 at 17:44

    Giveaway is now up, sorry for the delay.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gail30 November 2008 at 18:11

    VP~~I could rant with you about this and related issues! Good luck with your letter writing...Hopefully you can get others to follow suit and effect some changes! Here in Nashville...it is now time for the annual tree trimming party! Trees are topped, entire sides sheared off and sometimes you can see that branches weren't cut but ripped off the trunks. It's to save the electric lines. Btw....tree limbs do not fall up Mr Prun-a-tree. Maddening is right! Gail

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous30 November 2008 at 19:28

    Our council did the same with the ecology park of all places causing havoc for the wildlife!
    So much for them having green credentials!
    .
    Well done on doing an entry every day this month. xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous30 November 2008 at 22:56

    ouch!
    K

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous1 December 2008 at 00:06

    I can understand your rage! What a mess they made!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amy1 December 2008 at 04:10

    Ugh! That's really, really terrible. I can see why you would be upset - I would be too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous1 December 2008 at 10:58

    That looks rather brutal VP. Will be interested to hear the council's explanation.

    ReplyDelete
  11. tina1 December 2008 at 15:44

    I think it is a timesaver for the garden workers. I noticed just the other day some ornamental grasses cut to the nub. What the heck? Plain laziness to not have to deal with it in the spring. So much nicer to have the interest in the winter and to feed the birds.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Aunt Debbi/kurts mom1 December 2008 at 16:44

    Yikes, sadly, the lawn crews do the same thing around here.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mr. McGregor's Daughter1 December 2008 at 17:39

    Completely idiotic! I hope they at least took the red & yellow twigs to use in holiday decorations. Every Christmas, our church asks parishoners to donate red-twigged dogwood branches for altar arrangements.

    ReplyDelete
  14. VP2 December 2008 at 17:14

    Frances - I think I might be the only irate resident :(

    SOL - thanks for letting me know, will be back with a recipe kater on in the week

    Gail - thanks for the moral support. I've resorted to a real letter this time because my council doesn't appear to know what to do with e-mails

    Flighty - that's so bad, you'd think they'd know better with an ecology park. And well done to you for getting through November's blogging marathon :)

    Karen - I see you feel the plant's pain!

    PG - mess is right!

    Blossom - thanks. I'm feeling a lot calmer after getting it off my chest!

    Anna - so will I.

    Tina - I think you're right. Th ejob needs doing, ah we have a slot in our schedule so lets do it now. Without any thought whatsoever

    Deb - don't get me started on the lawn crews! One area got so bald, there's not one blade of grass left, just lots of weeds

    MMD - No, a lot of them are left lying around. I hope some of the local wildlife will make use of it. I'll be using some of it to make holiday decorations though.

    ReplyDelete

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