falling leaves

We are the unlucky keepers of two giant sycamores. Our house backs onto a park, and there is a line of trees - here long before the houses - that run across the top of everyone's back garden. Of course, not everyone got 2 sycamores.... ah no, but we did. Oh Joy.

We are not allowed to take them down. The local authority advised us very sternly of that. "£20,000 per tree, so don't even think of it". We gave up thinking of it long ago, but I still hate the trees. They are huge and ugly and I'd happily have taken them down and planted something nicer when they were small enough to deal with. Now they tower there's no chance.

In spring and summer they shade my garden, drip sticky stuff over everything and give refuge to the squirrels who plague me by stealing my fruit and bulbs, and nibbling down tender young plants. In autumn and winter they shower the garden in large grubby leaves and the horrible spinners that spring up everywhere - even in tubs and baskets given a six second foothold.

Now they've started dropping leaves again.

We've got one of those leaf vac thingies but using that is a bit like peeing in the wind.... though it is amusing watching Carl trying to get on top of the problem as it were :-) watched by the no doubt grinning squirrels and the mocking, swaying trees.

I do like Autumn. I do.
Just not in MY garden.