Before we go any further I have a confession, I do not come impartially to this project of two trees. The beech has long been a favorite of mine, the lime, although beautiful in early leaf, isn’t even in my top ten. It does seem unfair to start off with such a disadvantage, but I will strive to see all the good and beauty I can in both. You never know I may become a born again lime lover.
One of the reasons I love beeches is for their beautiful smooth grey elegant bark, but when you look really close up it is made up of many colours and is lined and mottled. A few years ago I saw an ancient beech hedge, somewhere on a country lane inland from Lyme Regis, planted on a high bank. It had been neglected and the plants had grown into tall trees. It was truly magnificent, like a parade of elephants marching towards the sea.
