It’s bare root planting season and if you do one thing this winter, plant a new tree.  I don’t buy the ‘my garden is too small for a tree’ nonsense. The floor space that the trunk of a small tree takes up is negligible. The shade it will cast is either too little to worry about if sits to the north of your garden, or a welcome break from the sun’s glare otherwise. Choose the right tree (a subject for another day) and you’ll get blossom in spring, fruit for you or to bring in wildlife in the autumn and it will make your garden properly three dimensional. Show me a garden that doesn’t need a tree and I’ll  – I’ll call it a balcony.

Anyway. I digress. I watched the Christmas edition of Gardener’s World on Friday 9th December and among much to enjoy, one little clip had me reaching for the replay button. Monty planted a gorgeous new apple tree and wrapped a tree tie round it in a figure of eight. I empathised immediately. A few years ago I stood with one of those long rubbery tree ties in my hand and messed with it for ages trying to work out which bit went where. Perhaps it’s a girl thing, but instead of giving up and wrapping it round randomly, I went online and looked it up. I know I’m being unfairly sexist, but men never RTFM.
So, here it is, no whizzy music, special features or celebrities. The chickens refused to get involved too. But, when you find yourself with a tree tie in hand, wondering which bit goes where, you’ll be back…
December 10, 2011