Whilst in Ontario a couple of weeks ago, I kept my eyes open for inspiration for a screen for the edge of the pasture background. My requirements were simple: trees in the 30-foot range that loosely formed a triangle.
I didn’t have to search long. For twenty years my brother has been surreptitiously caring for some woods near my mum’s house he calls “the berm.” He removes invasive species, protects young trees from deer and overzealous city mowers and plants the occasional sapling that volunteers in mum’s yard. He has his own blog, Roadside Fieldnotes, where he keeps track of the gentle changes of the woods and will promise not to overwhelm your inbox should you subscribe. Because the requirements were simple for my thicket, we were able to find a couple of options along the berm to serve as inspiration, and the family connection sealed the deal.
We went back several times over the days I was there, and took many photographs. I’ll need to send my brother back in August when the trees are in leaf, but these winter shots are ideal for forming the trunk shapes.
Back at home, I loosed my inner Frank Gehry and crumpled up some newspaper to confirm the thicket will satisfy the composition. The mock trees will percolate for a few weeks while I explore the viewpoints around them.
Note, while the search was on, we were calling this wood “the spinney,” but that sounds like something Piglet and Pooh would walk around, and this elongated form didn’t seem to match. Thus, it is now “the thicket.”
Pembroke:87 