To Chop or Not to Chop

Oh, the trees on our property!

 

 

So far, we have taken out nearly all of the trees and shrubs that were here when we bought the place.

We are not tree haters, I promise!

In fact, we both really appreciate healthy trees, in the right places.

Unfortunately, there have not been many that met those basic criteria.

From the wasp haven evergreen next to the deck, to the 3 half-dead scraggly pine trees on the west side, to the maple tree that was planted--no kidding--3 feet from the house, they have all gotten the axe (or the Big Bite from the front end loader.)

The entire front and east sides of the home were covered with junipers and cottoneasters.

Also gone, replaced by 3 long retaining walls.

(Part of the plan this spring/summer is to get the spaces between the walls landscaped.)

In the past 2 years we have put in trees and shrubs, as well, so it's not completely a barren wasteland out there.

 

However, back to the subject at hand: 

the ornamental plum.

 

Er...it got bumped by the tractor a couple of times.

Our fault.

But that's not the worst of it.

 

 

It's actually 2 trees growing side by side.

Ack! How did it come to this?

Surely they were not planted this way on purpose.

 

Neither are doing great, as you can probably imagine. The smaller one was the healthier of the two, until the little tractor incident.

 The problem is, if we chop down just one of the two, it will make the remaining tree very lopsided.

 

What to do?

 

Other than the aspens and apple trees on our back slope, this is our last remaining tree in the back yard. We could chop it down, to make room for something else, but whatever we get to replace it would be small and take several years to grow this big.

Or we just leave it and see if it dies off on its own later.

Maybe some judicious pruning would correct the overlapping branches?

 

It must perform well under scrutiny.

I don't ever remember it being this pretty.

In the past 2 years that we've lived here, this is really the first time I've even noticed the blossoms. I wonder if taking out the maple last year gave this one enough energy to finally bloom.
Another plus: it's a decent distance from the house and doesn't shade the garden.
 

Even so. Is that enough reason to save it? 



Battle On

I grew up with 10 brothers, no sisters.

Life was good.

Granted, I didn't have very many willing participants for playing "house."

Instead, we played games like "Battle On."

We would roll socks into balls and take up positions in our upstairs hallway and bedrooms.

The object was, of course, to hit everyone else with your balls, while simultaneously dodging their missiles.

 

The rules were simple:

1. You had to wait until everyone was ready to begin.

2. To signal that you were ready, you would say, "Battle on," loud enough for everyone to hear. 

3. Once the mayhem began, if you got hit 3 times, you were out.

 

* * * * * *

 

When we moved to this home 2 1/2 years ago, we noticed 3 aspens growing on the back slope.

We didn't think much about them.

If anything, we had positive thoughts.

 

[This was taken in April, last year.]

 

Small, round leaves that twist in the wind.

White, smooth bark.

They are pretty trees.

 

However.

 

You plant one aspen and you will end up with a grove.

They send up suckers from their roots, which can and will grow into full-size trees.

Aspen, thy name is legion!

 

Up until this point, our aspen control policy was of the "live and let live" variety.

Oh, we had our excuses reasons: we were busy building garden terraces and a shed; I had a spring baby last year; and what was more, the saplings were small and seemed far apart.

 

My first hint that it was time for more aggresive action was last fall when I was clearing out the garden beds. I pulled long roots out of every bed.

 

This spring I have noticed an abundance of aspen suckers.

Not just one or two.

Not just high up on the slope where I don't care about them, or notice them.

 

Many. A multitude.

Surrounding my apple trees, popping up next to my berry bushes, creeping down toward my shade bed.

 

 Look closely! There are 15-20 suckers in this picture.

They look like skinny brown sticks standing upright. 

The photo quality is not great.

You may have to take my word for it.

 

Many of these have been cut down before, and are growing back from stumps of old shoots.

Keep in mind that this is one small section of the slope.

 

Here's another angle.

Aspens, aspens, everywhere!

 

Enough is enough!

No longer will our policy be tolerance and forgiveness.

Aspen suckers will be cut down on sight.

Again and again, if need be.

 

I'm saying it loud enough for everyone to hear.

 

"Battle on."



Taking Down the Maple

Another tree bites the dust.

We're not going to take down every tree on the property, honest!

This one was just planted way too close to the house (about 3 feet away), and not surprisingly, kept growing into the house. To cut it back far enough to solve that problem would have made it severely lopsided and strange looking.

The last 2 branches of the maple on the left. 

It's gone and the steep slope behind it filled in to the wall.

We plan to extend the deck to the corner of the house and add a fence along the top of the wall.

This has been all cut up and hauled off now, thank goodness.

We only had one injury before that happened. 

Plans are afoot to extend the garden!

The bottom 2 terraces will be taken out another 3-4 feet.

I am not complaining!

Plus, all the big dirt piles are gone; used to backfill next to the wall.

Look at how much more lawn we will have, once we get some grass going!