Showing posts with label cherry trees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cherry trees. Show all posts

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The hypocrisy of the Green Party here in Oslo

I've translated this article from Vårt Oslo (Our Oslo) from Norwegian to English, so that you can read about the hypocrisy of the Green Party politicians and urban environmental agency here in Oslo. This is a typical stunt from them; usually they chop down healthy trees to make way for their beloved bike paths. But this time, they chopped down healthy trees so that they can plant cherry trees in their place. Is this hypocrisy? You bet it is. This has happened in other parts of Oslo, where trees have come down to make way for bike paths. And of course we need bike paths so that the entire population of Oslo can bike year-round and not use their cars for transport (the real agenda). We don't need any more bike paths in Oslo; it is not a bike-friendly city and it is nonsense to think that it ever will be. I don't believe for a minute that these lovely trees were sick. I do believe that these 'green people' have an agenda, and that they will stop at nothing in order to achieve their goals. These people are ruining Oslo.
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The protected lime trees in Thorvald Meyers gate have been cut down. What's happening?

By Anders Høilund    15. September 2019 00:16

The linden trees (also called lime trees or Tilia) in Thorvald Meyers street, from Nybrua to Olaf Ryes plaza, are history. The annual rings on the 70-80 cm high stumps show that the trees were 20-30 years old.

"I often pass by here, and suddenly one day the trees were gone. I thought, oh my God, what happened. I had previously read in the zoning plan that these trees were to be preserved", says Tom Ole Bergerud.

Bergerud understands that if the trees were sick, it was right to fell them. But the stumps tell a different story--that these were mostly healthy trees.

The stumps left behind after the trees came down are dry and fine and show that the trees were healthy and had a steady growth.

"I understand that sick trees must be felled, but all these trees did not become sick all at one time. The stumps left behind look mostly fine. If the reason for felling them is that the trees interfered with the power lines, then any new trees will do so as well" says Bergerud.

The Thorvald Meyers street zoning plan states that trees to be preserved are marked on the zoning map as 'not allowed to be removed' unless there is documented disease or significant damage to the trees. The lime trees that were felled were marked as preservation-worthy.

The lime trees in Thorvald Meyers street were felled one recent September evening. "The trees that were felled will be replaced by new trees in the spring and autumn of 2020. We will plant cherry trees that have a beautiful pink bloom in the spring. There are no plans for more trees to be felled now", writes Hilde Elisabeth Håve in the Urban Environmental Agency.

Assessment of tree health was carried out by an arborist in the urban environmental agency. There are also requirements in the zoning plan for independent control of the arborist's assessment. This is done by AB Trepleie AS, according to Håve.

“The trees that were felled had poor growth conditions and were characterized by disease. The Urban Environmental Agency applied for an exemption from the regulations, which was granted because the trees' health was so poor, and because it would facilitate the planting of healthy trees in the future. Exemptions from regulatory plans in Oslo are handled by the Planning and Building Agency, Håve writes to Vårt Oslo.

"The trees that stood here were lime. They are easy to prune. Cherry trees are also fine, but why switch to that tree species? I would like to know the reason for that" says Bergerud.

Håve explains that cherry trees were chosen because the municipality has good experience with these trees in streets with limited space, as they are significantly smaller than lime trees.

"Since we had to replace the trees anyway, it was desirable to replace them with smaller trees that are easier to maintain. We do not see that the regulations provide any guidance for species selection or that this is something to be exempted from. The Urban Environmental Agency does not specify that one specific species should be planted or that it must protect those that stand there already, rather, the overall aim of the regulations is that there should be trees in the designated locations" she writes.

One of the reasons the lime trees had to be felled was that they became too large for the pavements in Grünerløkka despite sub-optimal growth conditions. They had grown out to the tram line, and at the same time came too close to house walls, according to Håve in the Urban Environmental Agency.

Tom Ole Bergerud thinks the upgrade of Thorvald Meyers street is commendable, but that the trees could have been kept.

"New trees need time to grow big, which of course will not happen for many years" he says.
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Monday, July 20, 2015

An abundance of cherries

There are two cherry trees and several plum trees in the inner courtyard of our co-op complex, as well as gooseberry, black currant and red currant bushes. The plum trees produced hundreds of plums last year, so this year they're taking a well-earned rest. The cherry trees however are loaded with fruit, so my husband has picked about five kilograms (eleven pounds) of cherries the past few days. What do you do with an abundance of cherries? Make cherry pies and preserves. I did both (and both turned out delicious). My husband will be making liquer as well. In a few weeks, I'll be making gooseberry, black currant and red currant jam when those berries are ripe. Last week, I made strawberry and strawberry/rhubarb jam. In past years I've made strawberry/rhubarb pie, and it too is delicious. It takes some time to make preserves and pies, mostly to prepare the fruit, but it's worth it. If you buy the right utensils, e.g. a cherry pitter (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010S0E1W4?psc=1) and a plum pitter (http://tinyurl.com/nghowmr), you're off to a good start.




Sunday, May 3, 2015

Our Oslo neighborhood in springtime bloom

Still a bit of a chill in the air, especially in the evenings. But during the day, when the sun shines, there is the promise of summer. Oslo is in bloom, everywhere you turn. Our backyard boasts two cherry trees, four plum trees, as well as gooseberry, black currant, and red currant bushes, all of which are starting to bloom. And our co-op recently voted to allow residents to plant vegetables in crates that will be placed along the walls of the buildings in some places, for those who would like to do that. They will not replace the beautiful flowers though. Our neighborhood at large is in full bloom also. Enjoy the photos!


beautiful forsythia

forsythia and tulips outside our door

one of the plum trees in bloom

blooming trees along the Akerselva river

a meadow of cheery yellow dandelions

blooming trees

blooming cherry trees further up the road from where we live

a lovely evergreen tree

blooming roses indoors--a gift from my husband for our wedding anniversay

a blooming orchid indoors

Will Smith - Men In Black (Video Version)

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