Fifteen years...
Something to think about. Today I pointed at five scruffy self-sown Pittosporums in the back of the Shrubbery and Non-Gardening Partner chain-sawed them all down, taking him fifteen minutes to remove fifteen years of growth. Hmm...
Different Pittosporums
It doesn't really seem fair - and for me it's more thought-provoking than the 'one year's seeding, seven year's weeding' concept. I love trees. So how to justify fifteen years of growing energy gone to waste? Not exactly wasted, because it's gone to firewood logs and shredded mulch.
Spindly and struggling...
But those trees were spindly and struggling, with hardly any leaves (nothing like the foliage in the above picture). The difference to the surrounding garden is absolutely stunning. Amazing! So I dragged all the big branches out, and stacked all the logs. There's much more light, and my new path extension looks wonderful. And so does the carpet of periwinkle.
A Periwinkle Path
So that's that, I suppose. Am always grateful for shrubs and trees that self-seed. And thoughtful when any trees are chopped down. But oh boy! There are lots left.