Arbor Day

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BEFORE




AND AFTER


In this photo, our awesome arborist Martin Arnest is deep inside our pitosporum tree, hacking away all the strangling vines. His assistant Noah is on the ground, having just been handed a single clump of vines from the three. ONE SINGLE CLUMP OF VINES.

We suddenly have a lot more sky in our little garden.

We suddenly have more garden in our little garden.

When we first bought the house, you literally couldn't walk through the garden, because the mulberry tree and the vines were so overgrown. I'm really delighted with the change.

And, I'll admit it now: it was hard for me to chop down this tree. I'm one of those tender hearted idiots who brings home sick house plants and nurses them back to health. I try to save every living thing, no matter how pathetic. Removing this one tree will give everything else in the garden more opportunity for growth.




I'm so impressed with the work that was done. The trees look good, the yard wasn't trashed, and there's nary a twig left on the ground. Martin is a complete sweetie-pie. Let's hope my sad neglected fruit trees flourish in the next few years!

Comments

momverf said…
I love the Calla Lillys! One of my favorites!
V said…
Did Martin know what the Devil Tuber vine was?
-V
Lisa said…
He didn't tell me, but he did thank me for all the work I did, clearing it out.

I need to go look up kudzu.
Kurious Jo said…
We've felt pretty bad about taking out some of our trees. It is a hard decision. One was a 100yr old apple tree (I still sigh over that one). But looking back, it's what needed to happen. Several "moss pits" in our yard perked up after getting more sun and our property is much more useful for what we want to do. Now 17 yrs later I can't even remember a number of trees that we took out. And if we'd known how well it would work out, we'd taken trees out earlier. One thing I'd do differently - plant a seed from that old apple tree to preserve a possible heritage tree.
Anonymous said…
"The calla lilies are in bloom again. Such a strange flower -- suitable to any occasion. I carried them on my wedding day, and now I place them here in memory of something that has died." ...I'm sure you look as good with them as Kate Hepburn.

Kara
Anonymous said…
Kudzu is impossible to get rid of.

Impossible.

I remember reading a study where somewhere down south the kudzu was cut down, the roots plowed up, covered with salt for a week then set on fire with gasoline and burned for hours. IT GREW BACK.

But on a nice note, kudzu leaves make great handmade paper. Just dont drop it on the ground or it may take root.

The new yard looks great Lisa. Keep it up!

Annalisa
Anonymous said…
I am the same way re: trees and plants - gotta save'em! My husband is a professional gardener and uncertified arborist. He teases me about my gotta save'em attitude.

We bought a house last spring and we are the 3rd owners since 1923 (built 1900).

You can tell that the owners from 1923-1979 knew what they were doing - 5 apple trees all different, 2 plum of different varieties, blackberries galore (reduction necessary), one sick Asian pear (we haven't dedicated ourselves to removing it yet), 4 40ft douglas firs, 6 lilacs of 3 shades, 3 rhodies (one is quite large), and a freakin' huge magnolia!

It's the younger trees that are the problem - up against the house we have 4 improperly placed trees and another on the top shelf created by our cement retaining wall that would eventually be damaged by the tree. We'll have to remove all of these. I'm sad to see them go, but I know that the house and property needs to be protected AND we have so much to plant that came with us from our rental. We will more than make up for the loss.

We already have to plant 100+ ornamentals, a dwarf cherry, dwarf hardy peach, a nectarine, 2 figs, 4 blueberry bushes, many herbs, and we've started our spring garden prep!

Good luck from the South Puget Sound!

CLoveR
Anonymous said…
@ Kurious Jo -

Apple trees are like us -planted by seed they are a mix of it's parents. To get a copy you have to make a clone via grafting.

PBS had a great special called The Botany of Desire - http://www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/ . It's based on a Michael Pollan book. Broken up into 4 parts, apples are the topic of the first part.

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