Hornbeam Archives

Discover BRF or RCW, Ramial Chipped Wood, the next mulch revolution!

BRF is a common term in forestry. It is derived from the French “Bois Raméal Fragmenté”, or Ramial Chipped Wood. Anybody can make this mulch from crushed and shredded green wood branches. It’s the best mulch for enriching and protecting garden soil.

Ramial chipped wood is made from branches.

Hornbeam, a very beautiful tree

Hornbeam or blue-beech is a common tree in our forests, and it also appears in many parks and gardens.

Hophornbeam, very ornamental

European hophornbeam is a beautiful ornamental tree that can reach quite an impressive size when fully mature.

Cloud pruning for trees and shrubs

Niwaki – this is the Japanese word for cloud pruning. It’s the act of trimming trees into cloud shapes. An ancestral, elaborate art, this cloud pruning technique was developed to create symbolic spaces,

Magnificent example of a cloud-pruned shrub with 8 to 10 clouds and a silver gray trunk.

Allergic to pollen? Types of plants to avoid, and what to replace them with

Sneezing, red eyes, runny noses… spring is the time when allergy-triggering plants spread their pollen. A horrible season for allergy-prone people!

Plants that trigger allergy and those that don't

Heating with wood, how to choose your firewood

Wood as a source of energy is increasingly regarded as a natural solution for heating… and an antidote to rising fuel prices.

Bonfire at a campsite with the right type of logs and wood