Trimming Trees

 Every couple of years, tree trimmers "lace out" the trees on our property.

"Lacing out" is a prettier way of trimming a tree than just hacking off a lot of branches. This method preserves the overall shape of the tree and preserves some leaves at the very tips of the branches, as well as all along the branch.

It's a much lovelier look, and at the end the trees don't look as though they lost a battle with a chainsaw-wielding mass murderer.

Lacing out our trees--and all those leaves!--helps prevent the branches from breaking when they undergo extra strain (like during a rainstorm or windstorm). It also permits more sunlight to fall on the grass and flowers struggling under the too-shady areas of the trees.

Here's a Podocarpus, just beginning to get its lacing-out:

Here it is, finished:

Our two sycamores, before the lacing-out begins:

And halfway through the process (my treetrimmers almost always begin at the top of a tree and work their way down):

The goldfinches weren't too happy about all the hubbub. The crashing branches and buzzing saws definitely made it tough for them. This dude seemed determined to get his lunch, regardless of the noise and confusion:

 Here's a Pittosporum, just starting with a trim at the very top:

And later in the afternoon, almost finished:

As the branches fell, the gardeners heaped them in piles. The piles sat on the grass, waiting to get carted away, which attracted the attention of the pugs. And by "attention," I mean a lot of this:

and this:

Pugs are happy when the trees get trimmed!