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January 05, 2005
The Idiots Who Lived Here before Us
I've ranted about these people before, particularly about their interior decoration "skills." Now I would like to talk about landscaping.
Let me start by saying that "the fella" spent most of his life working for the Forest Service. In other words, he should have some idea about how trees work, but no. Not only did he not know that most trees are better left alone than pruned, he hired some equally clueless person to massacre a shrub and completely fubar a hawthorne in the backyard. No wonder our forests are in the state they're in today. The hawthorne I am fixing a leetle bit at a time because that's how these things are done, and the shrub I hacked away to nothingness.
I must say, however, that one of his best decisions ever was the choice of tree to plant along the back fence.
Here is a picture of our backyard. The sunflowers were my choice, planted after I removed the junipers, red lava rock and black plastic "mulch." Note the tree centered along the back fence. (And while you're at it, note the size of its trunk vs. the stems of the sunflowers around it.)
I did not plant that tree. It is a tri-color beech, a relatively hard to find, highly desirable landscaping tree. Some things you should know about tri-color beeches: They get to be 30 feet tall. Full sun burns their pretty leaves and strong winds scorch them as well. They need lots of water.
So let's review. This tree, which will get quite large, is roughly 6 inches from the chain link fence separating our backyard from the alley. It's in the least protected spot from sun in our entire yard, and the prevailing strong winds in the area blow through from the vacant lot on the other side of the alley. Before I took control of the area and added some good compost/topsoil, the tree was surrounded by black plastic. In other words, it's in a location which will require it's removal (or the fence's) in a relatively short period of time, the site for the tree has been carefully selected to assure maximum damage and weakness, and until I removed the "mulch" it couldn't get enough rainwater because nothing could get to the roots through the black plastic.
And did I mention that it's planted between lilacs so that in the spring, you cringe every time you look into the backyard because they do not work well with the scarlet leaves on the beech tree?
There is really no place else in our yard that would be any better for this poor little thing. Fortunately, my parents have a spot for it, so sometime in late February/early March, we are digging it up, balling the roots in burlap (and wrapping the branches to prevent windburn) and toting it to Boise in the new pickup so they can plant it in an ideal spot in their yard. Hopefully it will survive.
I was planning on planting a self-pollinating cherry in its place, but then I got a flyer in the mail for a tree that would not only provide fruit, but would still carry on in the spirit of the man who planted the beech tree in entirely the wrong spot. See for yourself:
(Mind you, when I suggested it to Dave, he said that if I was serious, we should probably re-evaluate our relationship.)
Posted by sally at January 5, 2005 10:05 PM
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