Bending the cherry

Toby is determined that his festooning measures will come good and that it won’t be him that goes round the bend!

- Toby Buckland

The bucking bronco that is my Mazzard cherry tree has been effectively lassoed by festooning, with the branches bent down and fi xed within reach

TWO years ago, I planted two cherry trees; a modern dark fruited eater called ‘Summer Sun’ and an old English Mazzard or cultivated wild cherry called ‘Dun’. I didn’t add labels – why would I? I am a busy man with an elephantine memory!

Quite how I forgot is a mystery – all I know is that within a week, I was confused, and one month later, I was clueless and considering hypnotherapy. But nature – or rather the inherent nature of the trees – has offered an aide memoir…