I like birch trees. They add something to a landscape in all seasons, the white bark providing contrast in any environment. In New England it is not uncommon to see birch trees snapped in two after a heavy snow. The slender trunks bend under the weight and at some point it becomes too much. Even if they don’t break the first time they don’t always stand back up, leaving birch arches, that while pretty, are even more susceptible to damage.

In the above stand of birch at the edge of the big pond at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford each tree is standing tall: a testament to resilience after last winter’s heavy and constant snow. The ones below are listing a little. They have all shed their leaves in preparation for another winter and I hope to see them still standing in the spring.