Tree Following March Update

 For Tree Following this year, I've chosen a magnificent old cherry tree in North Merchiston Cemetery in Edinburgh. Crafty Green Boyfriend and I started walking round this cemetery (and the nearby Dalry Cemetery) every day for our #DailyExercise during the first UK lockdown last year. And we're still doing the same walk regularly, though not quite as often. 

In early February, the tree still looked winter bare

 

and the buds were still tight winter buds 

while near the tree, the crocuses were almost ready to bloom 

 By mid-February the buds were much more advanced 

Sadly over the past couple of weeks, many of the lower branches have been chopped from the tree. Edinburgh City Cemeteries department claim they're not responsible, the council forestry department denies all knowledge of it, it certainly isn't the work of the cemetery friends group, so we have a mystery here, though some people still claim that the council cemeteries department is responsible. The amount of branches that have been cut back haven't damaged the tree, though it's annoying that the blossom will be less accessible for close up photos for Tree Following, but the real issue is that vegetation is being chopped back in the cemetery with no one knowing who is doing it!