Tree felling

 

Before...

...and after.

There were two sycamore trees, about 25' and 30' tall, at the bottom of the garden. They weren't blocking the light too badly, but they grow fast and would have become a problem. I decided to cut them down, and managed to fell them just where I wanted them. If they had fallen too far to the left, they could have damaged the blackcurrant or the peas, and too far to the right would have put them onto the roof of my neighbours' outbuilding. Fortunately it all went to plan - another job done.

By next winter, the trunks should be dry enough to cut up and burn in the fireplace, so they're free fuel as well. This year I'm using old, dry boughs from the much bigger sycamores visible at the very end of the garden. They are covered in ivy, and I've cut most of the ivy stems at the bottom of the trunk so that the plants die and the leaves fall off, to give more early morning light to the garden. Unfortunately, while cutting the thickest ivy stem, I broke the bow saw I'd borrowed from a neighbour. I'll have to replace the blade, and it means I didn't get to finish the job, which has slightly taken the shine off today.

Update: Tony was great about the broken blade, he just replaced it and lent me the saw again. I finished off the ivy and (very carefully!) cut up more dry boughs for fire-logs.