As part of a major structural pruning program the Friends Of The Public Garden will be caring for sixty large, old elms along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

This autumn, skilled arborists will perform a series of trimmings on thirty-seven of the sixty trees with the remaining twenty-three to be completed during the winter. This effort will ensure an even longer life for the elms by stabilizing weight distribution among branches and utilizing techniques to promote growth in older trees.

The elms have not yet benefited from this type of maintenance and it will also serve to prevent the possibility of falling branches and dangerous overgrowth. Don't worry, though, if you are afraid for the shade! While our beautiful trees may begin to look like a poodle right after a bath, this endeavor will ensure that they live healthily for years to come.

For more information about the Public Garden, Commonwealth Avenue Mall and Boston Common visit http://fopg.wordpress.com/