Illustration: Henk van Ruitenbeek The branches of these willows get cut off during the pruning season in February. Then the trees look to me like a big mushroom on top of which geese can rest on a natural perch similar to the ones built for storks. The pruning is a traditional activity. On a February weekend, you can see people by the dyke with extensible pruning shears, ladders, chainsaws and other tools. They are taking care of those old trees.
There are linden trees in front of many Dutch houses to provide shade in summer. These trees are grown as sunshades that don’t take up much space in the garden. To me, they look like a head with elongated tuning pegs from a guitar on it. I was surprised when I saw that branches can be trained into an L shape on a corner to continue the hedge. That’s not something you see back in Italy.
I saw that branches can be trained into an L shape on a corner
I once spotted a recently planted linden tree whose shape reminded me of a music stand. There is poetry in this image. Just as there is accuracy in music, it takes a clear structure to shape young trees. There is beauty in the tradition of those typically Dutch ornamental shapes. I hope now you have been triggered to spot them.
Elisa Bongiolatti, double degree student of Agricultural and Food Economics, from Italy.
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