Yew Trees at Brentford Library
I like trees despite the fact that I have never hugged one.There were two beautiful yew trees to the right and left of the entrance to Brentford Library. I see that these have recently been pruned (butchered would be a more appropriate term). I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if these yews were planted at about the time of the opening of the library in 1904. As such they deserve much better care than this. It will take several years for the trees to recover from this thoughtless treatment.I fully appreciate the need to maintain our trees to address issues such as public safety and damage to buildings/hard surfaces. However the roots of the yew are very fine. Yews are often found in churchyards because it was believed that the roots would grow through the eyes of the dead to prevent them seeing their way back to the world of the living.At Brentford Library the pruning has been far too drastic and has been carried out at the wrong time of year. An annual haircut and the occasional removal of larger boughs would ensure that the trees do not grow too large. The best time to prune yew trees is in late winter when they are dormant or in spring when replacement growth can flourish and harden during the summer. Pruning in autumn will promote tender young growth which will become damaged and unsightly as the result of cold winter temperatures.I'm stumped by who could have carried out this work. Perhaps it was yew know who (Carillion).
Jim Storrar ● 3235d3 Comments