Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Winter trees

Downed trees have been a common sight this winter, thanks to all our heavy snow. In this front garden, a tree slants almost into the home's front porch.

A laurel tree snapped partway off by our second bout of snow this winter, in early February.

Evergreen magnolias have had a rough time of it, as the heavy wet snow collects on their broad green leaves. Here a broken branch of magnolia leans against a fence.

This has been a hard winter on trees, with two bouts of heavy snow finishing off what a severe drought two years ago began. On my walks, I've been noticing an unusual amount of tree detritus on the boulevards, and sometimes whole trees toppled to the ground. During a recent trip to VanDusen Botanical Garden, I saw the wood-chipper hard at work chopping up branches and trees finished off by the last snowfall.

But along with all the damage, I am still struck by the beauty of the many majestic trees that have survived. And recently, I've noticed a couple of "fairy doors" -- fanciful little doors added to the base of trees -- something I'd only seen before on Saltspring Island. A whimsical touch highlighting one of the best things about Vancouver -- our trees.

I spotted this fairy door on the base of a tree in Kitsilano on Tuesday. The snowdrops add a nice touch to the "entrance."

Another fairy door I noticed a couple of weeks ago, with the addition of a window.

I don't know what this tree is, but it stands in a residential yard in the Point Grey area, and its size and dignity amaze me every time I pass it.

The sun shining on this tree in Dunbar turned it into a thing of beauty, even without its leaves.

The same tree in closeup. Ominously, it's in the front yard of a house that is to be torn down. I don't know whether the tree will survive or not.
The outline of this beautiful tree against the snow of VanDusen Garden required a photograph.


But, along a pathway in the garden, a chipping machine is hard at work, getting rid of all the trees and branches felled by the harsh winter.

At VanDusen, a fallen tree blocks a pathway.

A substantial tree branch lies along the sidewalk in Point Grey. 

Nearby is the tree it appears to have fallen from, judging from the broken spots in the branches.


And, one of the most common sights this winter -- a snapped-off evergreen branch on a snowy boulevard.

1 comment:

  1. I love the "fairy doors"! I am determined to learn the names of trees this summer and have my Vancouver Tree Book at the ready.

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