Shrubs And Trees

When I moved here in 1986, the backyard was a mess.  As Julius Caesar might have said "Et haec habet duas partes". Playing on his famous ""Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres".  Sorry, I couldn't resist.  😄

But my new backyard was a half field of sandy sedimentary soil and half overgrown jungle with rich soil.   I spent several years pulling down vines and cutting down junk saplings and shredding/moving them to the sandy side to break down before root-tillering them in.  And it helped the sandy side that the County offerred free mulch.  That went in, too.  

Meanwhile, I was building a shadow-box fence around the back to keep the large dogs away from my cats.  Built a 2 level deck while I was at it.  Paneled, ceiling and lit the basement too.  And people ask why I don't want to move.  😛

But over the years, some trees have fallen and opened the jungle part to more sunlight.  Brambles and weeds thrived.  So a few years ago I decided it was time to plant new trees.  Not some Mighty Oak, but a few modest specimen trees.  Moderate size, but broad canopies and seasonal interest.  

So the backyard has 2 Sourwood Trees and 2 Dogwoods.

Those aren't mine.  Mine are still only a few feet high.  But mine will get bigger than that soon enough to shade out the brambles and weeds.

So, why not add more to the front yard?  I lost a tree, a burning bush, and 2 Golden Rain Trees.  So, a new Sourwood (in a better location for it), and Weigalia shrub.

That's a commercial picture too.  Mine is slender and 2' tall..

I probably won't see the trees mature.  I once read that planting an acorn is gift to the future.  If you have ever seen the fictional 'The Man Who Planted Trees' you know what I mean.  If not, watch it.  It's worth the time.

But mostly, I imagine how the trees will look 20 years from now.  And the imagining is OK for now.  The 2 dogwoods will burst with color in the Spring.  And the 2 Sourwoods will show brilliant gold flower clusters in late Summer and then brilliant red leaves in Fall.  I will see some of that as they grow and that is enough.  

I will nurture the saplings.  I will keep the vines around them clipped.  I will spread a small amount of fertilizer around their drip zone to encourage the roots to spread.  I will put a 5 gallon bucket with a small hole drilled in the bottom and fill it in times of drought to get them through their first few years. 

When I first moved here, I was driving home for one of the first times and admired the brilliant reds and yellows of some old sweetgum and maple trees.  They were a neighbor's trees but right next to my yard.  I was seeing them for the 1st time.

Someday, someone else will live here.  I won't know who they are (some new generation with a name I don't know yet).  I want them to suddenly see the Dogwoods in Spring flowering and the Sourwoods in blazing Fall color.  

It will be a gift from the past...