Business as usual.

On the way back from the Gyle Centre "Shopping Experience" I noticed a profusion of Alder trees in the woods by the railway.

They like boggy ground. The tree is public-spirited - often planted in poor wet soil as it can grab nitrogen from the air. It can stop eroding riverbanks. It's an enricher. Don't ask me how.

It's tough too. The piles on which Venice stands are of Alder.

Male and female catkins grow on the same tree. You've guessed it - the guys are the hangy-down ones! The female fruits look like wee cones and stay on the branch throughout the winter though this is not an evergreen.

There may be a recession on but the Alder tree is looking forward to a prosperous 2009.