Tree time treat

The Man writes...prompted by a stall at the local Farmer's Market, today we finally got round to visiting a truly extraordinary back yard: the Pine Hollow Arboretum.

Entering through a normal looking suburban house, we were greeted warmly by the owner and creator John Abbuhl, and then set off on the many enticing trails, which wound between ponds and trees.

On the left (below), for example, is a metasequoia (Dawn Redwood) planted in 1968, and now nearly 100 feet tall with a 5 foot wide trunk at the base.

There are apparently over 2500 labelled specimens, spread over 25 acres, in an appealingly natural setting.  Fortunately on such a hot day, there are several shady spots to take a break, but we felt justified afterwards in calling in afterwards on the nearby Toll Gate for their famous home made ice cream.

More details on Pine Hollow can be found here, courtesy of the Exile.