That's right! Today is March 21st, the First Day of Spring! And we did have decidedly spring-y temperatures around these here parts.
Not only that - I got to poke around my plants some. Then, I talked to a very nice man about removing some evil trees.
Dum dum DUMMMMM!
The Shrub of Doom? Soooo last August! This spring the issue is: The Evil Trees of Stupidity!
The Original Owners of the House (aka the OOs) had a very utilitarian mindset when it came to the Original Gardening. The idea was Trees! and Grass! and that's it. Not just any old trees, either. Evil Aus Trees. Never heard of them? Neither had I. Know why? Because they suck! They grow like mad, have weak and brittle growth, attract aphids (And you know who likes aphids? Hornets! Yay! A two-fer!) and drop branches at the first sight of wind/rain/snow.
Why, oh WHY, didn't we rip them out when we first moved in 11 years ago?!
Because we didn't know any better and I'm a sucker for plants - that's why! No more! Eric has gotten so sick and tired of them that we're talking about having a tree service in to give us some quotes. Some quotes will be for trimming them back and giving them some sort of systemic pesticide to keep the aphids away. Hmm. Only there's three of these trees, you see, and the trimming won't keep them from being dumb, weak, fast growing, limb dropping, messy shade trees (They do, actually, provide shade just fine). The other quote will be to see how much it would be just to take all three of them out, grind up the stumps and get brand new nifty pretty trees put in.
OooooOOOOH!
Oh and the aspen in the front yard is on its last legs, too (I'm a bad Aspen owner!) so it will likely also have to be ripped out and replaced. I promise that I'll be good to the next tree! Promise!
The only really big downside to ripping out these trees is that a) there goes all that shade and b) it ain't gonna be cheap. Nuh-uh. Le Sigh.
The Tree Dude mentioned Lindens and Columnar Pears as replacements when I mentioned wanting trees that do something other than go green, yellow and fall off. I'd like a 3 season tree, ideally - something that flowers, fruits (for the birds), turns pretty colors in the fall and is neither weak, spindly, messy or likely to attract aphids and hornets by the busload. Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brillance' is starting to look pretty good for the aspen replacement. The linden doesn't look so bad for replacing two of the Aus trees in back for shade. Might be time to go visit some tree farms.
Bwahahaaa!
By the way, the apple tree that Eric moved for me in the fall that had barely any roots? It's perking right up this spring and is putting out new growth already. I think it will be happy in its new sunny home! Bunches and bunches of my tiny plants in the front yard are all coming back and the plants on either side of the stairs are perking up already. Looks like most everything has made it through the winter just fine. I need to get out there and do a whole lotta clean up, but I've been busy napping. That's gotta stop. Soon.
So...Happy Spring! On with the warm weather and flowering plants! Come on hummingbirds!
1 comment:
I've been fighting off gardening urges (because I have MASSIVE amounts of prep work to clean out the various planting areas and I've been writing like a fiend and it's only March and the late snow storms have got me before. To say nothing of going to NJ soon.) BUT, after reading your entry, I want plants!! I especially want ice plants, since the last of mine died two years ago. MUST HAVE ICE PLANTS.
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