Willows

No more wind in the willows

Spring is just around the corner and Loftus is budding up, ready to burst into growth again.

The time has arrived to pollard our Willow trees all, 27 of them. You might think this harsh pruning we do each year is a bit drastic but it’s the nature of what pollarding is and has been carried out for hundreds of years. The rapid regrowth, when cut back hard, creates thin whippy branches that grow out from the centre of the tree like a giant Firework which makes them far more ornamental than if left to their own devices.

There are other reasons too why pollarding has become popular:

• Pollarding prolongs the life of the tree.
• It keeps the size of the tree in control, as its natural height would be far too big for Loftus.
• Provides homes for insects, the crevices from rotting branch stumps provide perfect accommodation for the 450 different types of insects that a willow tree supports.
• The Branches can be used for fuel or basket weaving.

This year the job of pollarding our willow trees has been given to a contractor who will be starting the job within the next couple of weeks. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience his truck might cause parked around Loftus as there will be a lot of branches to pick up.  We have these Willows on both parks and Loftus lane.

Just one other thing, did you know that Asprin is made from Willow bark? Years ago people would chew on pieces of bark for pain relief but I seriously wouldn’t suggest you go sucking our trees, as you could well be labelled “Barking Mad” and it has a nasty side effect of thinning the blood.