Heritage trees

All over the country there are trees 

that have become part of our collective landscape heritage. 

They are usually either very large, or of extraordinarily beauty or age,

 and many are part of history and popular lore, 

having played a role in historical events, 

or figure in local stories and legends.

© 2009 Landscape Observatory of Catalonia / Hospici, 8 - 17800 OLOT - Tel: +34 972 27 35 64 - Fax: +34 972 27 15 89 -observatori@catpaisatge.net

How Popular is the poplar tree?

Investigators of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) have succeeded in genetically modifying female Poplar trees for the decontamination of water and soil of the pollutant TNT (trinitrotoluene). This explosive, highly toxic and difficult to dispose of pollutant is a problem throughout large parts of Europe and the United States of America.

Deep rooted Poplar trees can reach down to aquifers to absorb water and pollutants deeper embedded in the land. Enzymes in the plant material converts the TNT in to a harmless substance mostly stored within the trees roots during their lifetime. Because the contaminant does not reach the leaf fallen leaves do not present a risk to grazing animals.Using female trees eliminates the risk of pollen from modified trees spreading to the wider environment. The decontamination process takes up to 15 years.

The highly explosive TNT is toxic to living organisms and very difficult to remove, there is no 100% effective method: 

"For the time is used excavation and incineration, an expensive and not very kind to the environment, "says Pieter van Dillewijn of the Experimental Station Zaidín. “There are other more economical methods such as composting, but its implementation is more limited and often without reliable data,” adds the investigator.

Once absorbed by the plant or when the tree dies the Dutchman believes that it would be necessary to remove the mature plant, including much of its roots, so the TNT or its derivatives do not return to the ground. Then incinerate the tree and thereby generate energy.

El Gordo - has our luck changed?

We bought a ticket for 'El Gordo' the Spanish national lottery at a cost of 20€, we bought the ticket in the city of Girona on the peninsular. Last year several tickets won large prizes for some residents in the town of Vic not far away from our home village. Millionaires were made there on the day of the draw in 2006.



A big win on the lottery would pay for the landscaping we still have to complete, and would also allow us to install a much needed swimming pool for those long hot summer days to come.



Over the past few years I have been emailed by more than a dozen people all of whom advised me that I had won a large prize in the annual draw. Strange that because this is the first year we have actually purchased a ticket and the lady in the kiosk in la 'oficina de loteria' was certain that our ticket failed to win a prize. So I'll blame Lady luck rather than Lady Luz, though if Pam has won the lottery she is keeping rather quiet about it.

Still, fingers crossed there is always next years 'El Gordo' to look forward too.

Design ideas for the garden

Design gardens.com

offer visitors free to use downloadable landscape/ garden plans. (non commercial use)

The plans come with an explanation of the design and a planting list.

The difficult sod!

There is nothing quite like a well laid lawn to set off one’s garden. A fine green sward after all, is a delightful backdrop in any well cultivated garden. So thought Nigel as he surveyed the fruits of his horticultural labours, he had his very own well laid lawn. For their part, his neighbours too seemed impressed with his handy-work, and they cast admiring and perhaps even envious glances over his front garden. All that time Nigel had invested in clearing the ground of weeds and stones, and the time he had spent in the leveling and firming of the soil in preparation for the turf, was surely worth the result. Now with a little regular watering and mowing he would reap the reward of having the lawn he had always dreamed of, a lawn to be proud of. There is it has to be said a lot of lawn envy in gardening circles, but if there has to be envy it is surely better to be envied than to be envious. Tired but contented Nigel put away his tools and retired for the evening, he would sleep soundly tonight, it had been a job well done.

Morning. As Nigel drew back the curtains from the window in order to reveal his now pristine lawn, he couldn't’t believe his eyes, for the lawn was gone; there before him were the same turf rolls that he had laid ever so carefully on that long afternoon. His lawn had been un-laid it was re-rolled; all his hard work was undone. Incredible as it was he was a loss to understand why and who would do such a thing. Nigel was not amused by this madness by this prank; he was also unable to think why anybody should do this thing this madness to him. It was certainly not at all funny, no not funny at all. The rest of Nigel’s day, he knew, was to be taken up with the relaying of the sod. More tedious today than yesterday, his gardening endeavours were not nearly as satisfying. Upon completion the restored lawn looked fine, there was no lasting damage. And maybe one day he would look back on this irritating episode and laugh out loud, maybe but not today, Nigel’s sense of humour had deserted him, and just when he needed it most. Tired but satisfied he had resolved the problem and saved the lawn, he went indoors.

Numb. Transfixed, not again surely not again, but there, on morning of day three, once again was the absence of a lawn. Nigel saw that the turf strips had again been lifted and re-rolled, maybe not quite as neatly this time, but none the less re-rolled they were. Unbelievable. This was beyond a joke. His pride had been eroded by the idiot who had deconstructed his garden.

Once more Nigel restored the lawn and as he did so he recounted his story to sympathetic neighbours, passers by and indeed anyone who would listen. People expressed their sympathy but some struggled to suppress a smile. They were added to Nigel’s ever lengthening list of suspects.

Darkness fell and the epic battle to lay that lawn had worn Nigel out, though as tired as he was he did not sleep easily.

In the early hours of the morning he heard a noise.What was that! There it was again, it was a shuffling sound coming from outside the house, from his lawn from his thrice laid lawn. Racing downstairs Nigel threw open the door to reveal the culprit eerily illuminated by the street light.

"Cyril! What are you doing?"

And it was Cyril his neighbour who was stood amidst the re-rolled turf . Unashamedly Cyril continued to lift the turf and he seemed amazed at the fuss Nigel was making about it.Cyril was a celebrity of sorts and possibly the biggest pig you ever saw, at least as big as a donkey.This good natured old tusker was pampered by the farm workers he was also a children’s favourite, many of whom brought him tit bits of food. He particularly enjoyed wholemeal bread, a whole loaf at a time. Domesticated he may be but he had still retained those primeval pig ways.The scent of the newly laid lawn and the damp earth must have been too much for him. Cyril still knew how to rut for his food, and Nigel can testify to that. Across the road at Sparrow hawk farm Cyril's owners were unaware of his nocturnal wanderings, the big boar was always in his enclosure on a morning. Cyril's pen was made secure and the turf in Nigel's garden was finally laid

And even Nigel can laugh about his lawn now.

Preparation counts

The secret of success at anything in Spain is La machina!

A machine is the answer to any problem you can imagine, labour saving gadgets are technology at it´s most welcome.

Trying to work the land with conventional spade and fork is impossible. Even previously turned ground often needs to be broken open with a pick!

Destined to become a flower bed at the south side of the villa this hole in the ground was excavated by the JCB digger in only 30 minutes. 

The soil was then hand riddled to remove the rocks and weeds, weeks of hard work. 

Manure which had been composted for one year was added. To the best of the soil we added 30 tonnes of purchased top soil which looked little better than the dust we had removed.

Clearing the site, the plot thickens

With the top layer of soil, rock and weed scrapped away the scale of the garden was more apparent to us. We could at last consider the plan for the garden and think about marking up the landscape design.