We bought a red birch (Betula pubescens f. rubra) from Billnas nursery and planted it, in memory of my father, in front of the sauna down by the lake. A lovely spot with a beautiful view and sheltered from the wind. A quiet family moment. After a few years the tree will have white bark which contrasts beautifully against the dark red leaves, While the tree establishes itself we have staked it and surrounded it with fencing to keep the deer (and any stray sheep) away. The first red birch was found in Ostrabothnia in the 1970s and grown at the University of Oulu. It is a variety of downy birch (Betula pubescens). This is not the same sub-species as Red Bark Birch or Chinese Red Birch (Betula albosinensis) More info on Finnish Red Birch (punakoivu) from Suomalainen Taimi
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The forestry people have been in Rosendal planting pine saplings in the area where they mature trees were removed last winter.
The sheep are now living in the "Millennium" birch wood, down towards the lake. We have fenced off an area that allows them to graze under the birch trees down to the water and across into the neighbour's field. We just used regular sheep fencing and wooden posts. So far it seems to be enough to keep them in.
Having severly pruned the neighbour's oak tree, they are now nibbling the tips of the curly birch branches which are within reach. They don't seem to be using the trunks as scratching posts.... yet! They are doing a fabulous job of keeping the grass down around the trees, so soon we will give them a bit more space. |