Here's a visual thank you for all the
's and
's and most especially for the kind words about this banner.
@EscondidoCal should be careful what he wishes for when he enquires
"Do you have any more of the grove & closeups of the bark? "
On the day I took the photo that produced the banner, I didn't walk among those trees and photograph them up close. I did find one photo that shows a couple of the clumps of trees in more detail (see below). Other comments people made helped me realize a) many people live where birch trees don't thrive, so they haven't had the pleasure of becoming familiar with them, and b) those who have lived with them have fond memories of those experiences. Nearly every local arboretum and botanical garden has at least one birch grove, so I'm lucky in that regard. Here are some photos I dug out of my archives.
First, the aforementioned shot of a couple of tree clumps from the featured grove
In a neighboring grove there's a good example of tree inosculation. Basically it's a form of conjoining or self-grafting that happens when tree trunks/limbs maintain prolonged contact. (Read more here, if interested.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...)
Most people think of the bark of paper birch or canoe birch trees, which these are, as peeling. In my experience of these trees, more of them don't peel than do. But here's of shot of that phenomenon, taken on a frosty December morning, when the rising sun was beginning to melt the frost.
Another aspect of birch bark is it's ability to host moss and lichen, and here are a couple of examples of that.
And finally, a shot of a vista at Hidden Lake Gardens that is overlooked by a large characterful birch. Birches aren't especially long lived, so seeing one this massive (for a birch) is a treat. The color in the distance, if you're curious, is from crabapple trees in bloom.
Thanks again,
@Johannian,
@MargieNY,
@crawgarden,
@DeerXing,
@lauriemorningglory,
@pod,
@Fleur569,
@GaNinFl,
@mmolyson, and
@EscondidoCal for taking the time to share your thoughts about this banner. Because it shows a place I love to visit, it's special to me.
