Since medieval times European farmers have pollarded their trees. That means cut all the branches off and leave stubs. They harvested tops of their trees for fodder and for the wood. The tree looks nude and if one can give it a human emotion, forlorn.
Sounds terrible but come the spring the tree throws out a huge array of branches from the end of each stub like a bouquet of flowers in a vase. It seems a tree can be pollarded for many years without lasting harm and in fact often live longer than untouched trees.
Now trees are pollarded more for a decorative effect and they form lollipops along side country roads and arches over walkways in the park.
But what comes to mind for me is that an event that seems terrible when it happens turns out to do nothing but make the tree stronger, more beautiful and more long lasting. Some of those difficult times we weather in life do exactly the same for us.
Photo by Guest Blogger Sue Harrison, location Sarlat, France.