Tree!

[General Tactifer]

Now that we've greened-up for the year, it seems a good time to look around at a part of Porty we often take for granted. What is your favourite tree in the area? It doesn't have to be big or unusual, just so long as it appeals to you! Salute it now - you never know how long it'll be there

Some for starters: there used to be a lovely flowering cherry on Brunstane Road South until it fell foul of 'monoblock mania'. There was also an impressive, tall tree by the footpath just in front of the Brunstane House cottages. Unfortunately, Wimpy were building a new estate there and wanted it down, and soon after, coincidentally, it was found by the authorities to be diseased and had, of course, to be felled. On the bright side, there is a superb spreading cherry half-way up Gilberstoun. And how about the Conker tree in Joppa Quarry park? Over to you folks!

[Surrealist]

Maybe I'm just intolerant, but I blame trees for a lot of the trouble in Portobello - especially since some of the more rough varieties of oak seem to have drifted in from south Edinburgh.

Back in my day, trees knew their place - but not any more. Especially in Autumn, when decent folks like to go out for a walk - no sooner do you walk round a street corner when you smack into a tree. And they don't just hang out on street corners singly - they have taken to marauding in groups, wantonly shedding their leaves and dribbling sap and conkers everywhere.

Some people - from bleeding heart liberals to the more fruity leftists seem to think that these trees have a right to just grow out of the ground and stick their roots into the foundations of my property. Idiots. That's why I'm forming a (excuse the pun) grass roots organisation to clamp down on errant leaf shedding, and other forms of general disturbance.

It's not enough to turn a blind eye to these sunlight-blocking monsters or to argue that the provision of forestry space will solve this problem. What we need is a root and branch excision - starting in our own back gardens.

The Japanese have the right idea with Bonsai - we need to restrict the growth of these organisms in order to shape them into a form more pleasing to the mature eye, and to prevent them running wild......

[DG]

My favourite tree in Portobello sits at the top of Marlborough street. I'm not sure what type it is but I can see it from one of my windows and it is well used by those of the feathered community (who keep a close eye on what I'm up to in my kitchen from their high look out post).

I also like the row of flowering trees outside Kitchners deli. They have a wonderful winter sparkling blossom that glows in the dark, ...but the trees didn't blossom last Christmas ans I'm not sure why!

DG

[Epykat]

I like the huge one right at the bottom of the long garden at the foot of Bellfield Lane. It's huge and I can see it from my bedroom window. We can lie in bed and look at it and pretend we're in the country

[bellybabe]

We can see wonderful ones over our wall which are in the garden of 10 Bath Street, also visible as you go into Scotmid. Last night at ten o'clock we sat on the back door step, listening to the birds singing in them, and just looking at them, saying that truly british phrase we say every day between December 21st or so and June 21st or so... "Look! It's [insert time here] o'clock and it's still light!!"
And I'm kind of fond of the rowan tree in our front garden, even though it makes a huge mess of the pavement when it sheds blossom, then leaves, then berries... The local kids loved climbing it too until we got railings - spoil sports that we are!

[Guest]

[Epykat]

A friend of ours quite recently had a huge copper beech removed from her back garden for the same reasons. It really was a beautiful tree and if it had been in the park it could have stayed. However, the benefits it has brought her and her neighbours outweigh the loss of the tree - and she's going to plant a more suitable one in its place.