The tree for this part of the year and the first lunar month is The Birch and this time last year I couldn't find any locally to photograph that were not in someones garden.(Which is why I didn't start these posts of trees last January) Contrary to what people think about re-wilding the countryside, Silver Birch tree's don't appear if you leave land untended and they don't even grow easily if planted. We put in 10 here and all were eaten by deer despite tube protectors. We planted 25 at the smallholding - I wonder if they are still there and growing?
Luckily on one of the few car boot visits last summer I spotted some Silver Birch at the car-park near the big car-boot sale site in Needham Market, so called in there on my way back from the scrap-yard on Friday. This land is owned by the local council, so these trees would have been protected and cared for when they were small.
The Birch pages from "The Ogham Sketch Book by Karen Cater. Top left corner of the top photo and at the bottom of the second photo shows how the letter B or number 1 would have been written way back in the 6th Century in Celtic nations.
Maybe I'll plant a small group on the grass out the front of the bungalow - just to carry on the tradition of trying to grow them in each new home.
Such an interesting post Sue (well as always!) I didn't know this about Birch but the interpretation sounds fitting. Someone stole a Silver Birch from our wood at the cottage - just chopped it down when we weren't there -must have thought we wouldn't miss it but we did - I know all my trees in the wood. The stump with the clean new cut together with the bits of thin branches they didn't want left lying around was a bit of a giveaway. We wondered if it was someone who wanted it for wood turning as our wood is full of cut logs for burning.
ReplyDeleteSickening that someone should cut down a perfectly good tree from somewhere that didn't belong to them. Hope there are others still there
DeleteThe interpretation is so apt for you at the moment. I've never tried growing birch, but I planted a rowan in my current and previous garden, to ward off witches! xx
ReplyDeleteRowan is next months tree!
DeleteInteresting what you say about the Silver Birch Sue. We have quite a lot of them planted here and there about our estate and they all seem to be doing well. I would guess they were probaby planted at least twenty years ago..
ReplyDeleteI love the bark on the trees when they get bigger. I was a shame that ours here got eaten before they got a chance to grow
DeleteSecond post I've read in 30 mins on the Silver Birch tree. Interesting information, and I think our ancient ancestors had far more respect for trees than most ever will today. I recall a stand of them on the outskirts of Haverfordwest, and always looked forward to seeing them, but now they are gone for building and road improvements. So sad.
ReplyDeleteIt's always odd when people on quiz shows don't recognise trees, but I suppose I've only got to know and appreciate them more after planting lots, and using it for heating for so many years
DeleteHave you ever looked at Weather Without Technology...he always states the trees through the year and their dates. x
ReplyDeleteNo don't know that site - I shall investigate
DeleteSilver Birch are my favourite tree, I learnt a song about the Silver Birch tree when I was a Girl Guide and i use to sing it at Camp Fires in the early 1950s.
ReplyDeleteHazel c uk 🌈🌈🍃🍃
I wonder if Guides and Scouts still have campfires - I hope so they were always good fun at Cub District Camps
DeleteHow about growing a smaller birch like a jaquemontii - himalayan birch. There are some lovely white varieties like 'silver shadow'. They might be easier to grow than the silver birch?
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Ellie
Another idea to find out about - thank you
DeleteThe silver birch is a lovely tree, isn't it? There's one next door that overshadows my garden and it is a delight (apart from the seeds and the leaves in Autumn)
ReplyDeletexx
I should have thought to take a photo of these last summer when they had leaves!
DeleteFascinating to read about the Birch like that. We do have a few in our Welsh woodland, but not many. Luckily there are no deer to eat them.
ReplyDeleteThere are muntjac deer all over Suffolk and they love young trees - a really annoying wild animal - although I love to catch a glimpse of one
DeleteYou are right Sue, they are really annoying. A couple of years ago we grew lots of tulips in pots.....apparently they are very tasty! Best to eat them before they flower...buds are much tastier. Geraniums flowers are a nice snack....and on it goes.
DeleteThat book is fascinating. We have a number of silver birch in this area. I love them especially in the summer when they are in leaf with a breeze blowing through the tree.
ReplyDeleteI love them too
DeleteHow funny - siver birch are maybe the most common species of hardwood growing here, and it grows like a weed, no need to plant it... But it is a much liked tree, and used is so many ways. Birch is our most valuable wood to burn (oak grows poorly here in north). And birch sap! I collect it and make mead.
ReplyDeleteIt must be fun to make mead from the sap. I think our summers are now to dry for it to grow well in this part of England now
DeleteOnly tree we've ever planted was a heritage birch tree. Planted two. One in front lawn and one in side lawn. Latter one is tall and still alive. Front one disappeared somehow. They came via mail and very tiny...twig size. We got them so we'd have shade especially on side lawn as its warm in house summer time. White pine tree has been here before we lived here. We've lived in one place for 31 years. New double wide mobile home, back then. Tree story book interesting to read. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI guess you have things that eat young trees too!
DeleteWhat an interesting post! I have always loved birch trees with their beautiful bark. It would be nice for you to at least try planting some at your new home. You never know, this might be the time and place that they will grow.
ReplyDeleteAren't they called a pioneer species in that they colonise new ground first and then die once the bigger trees get established in new woodlands? Arilx
ReplyDeleteInteresting.
ReplyDeleteBirch trees grow easily here. I love the way the wind sounds when it blows through the branches.
God bless.
Well, now, that's an interesting comment above (It isn't Jackie's--Sue will take it down as soon as she discovers it).
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, our neighbor had a row of beautiful birches in their parking strip. Went back recently (60 years later) and they have all turned black. So I'm thinking birches might not be very long-lived. They were probably 10-15 years old when I was a child.
Loving the neighbor's birches as I did, I planted them at my last two houses (three at each house). The first ones at both houses died of birch borers, which I understand is fairly common (but didn't know about at the time). However, I re-planted them at the first house, and they seem to be doing well. They would be about 25 years old now. I planted mountain ash (rowan) in their place at the second house, since I'd had such bad luck with the birches (which weren't cheap!). I do love birch bark!