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Trees & Shrubs

My daughter moved into a brand new house earlier this summer.  Like so many new builds, the landscaping allowance included one sad, lonely tree stuck on the corner and three bushes –  her choice from an unimaginative standard list.  Bit by bit she’s been adding to the yard, but now it’s time to do some serious tree planting. Before that first shovel breaks the ground though, she has lots to consider.  

I took an objective look at my front yard this week and determined it was sadly lacking in fall color. My four yellow mums in pots flanking the doorway just didn’t bring me quite enough joy. (Yes, I admit it  – I have been doing a Marie Kondo purge) What I really want are huge bursts of riotous color and texture before a long Midwestern winter with its ice, snow and freezing temperatures sets in. 

A friend called the other day so excited because “they’re giving away free native trees at the farmers market downtown.”  She’s a novice gardener and is passionate about planting to rejuvenate the earth. An hour later, I heard from her again, only this time the enthusiasm was definitely gone from her voice. “I’m sending you a picture of our trees,” she said, “only I’m not sure they really are trees. I think they gave us sticks in plastic bags.” 

A girlfriend and I took a day trip through Jefferson City and then down to Missouri Wildflower Nursery this week. We just happened to hit the weather right  –  pleasant temperatures, no whipping winds and the bluest sky we’ve seen in ages. What really sang spring to me though, was the profusion of flowering trees in full, and sometimes fragrant, bloom everywhere we went. Seeing all that beauty, you couldn’t help but think, “ Now where could I plant one in my yard?”  Which, understandably, leads to the next question, “Which one should I buy?”

It’s November. The daffodil bulbs are all tucked in the ground and ready for a spring showing. The overgrown perennials have been pulled, trimmed and replanted. The iris beds have been cleaned out for weeks. There really aren’t any other chores that have to be done this minute, but the sky is bright blue and the temperature is perfect and the fanatical gardeners of the world absolutely must take advantage of one more day working in the yard (It could be the last perfect day of the year, you know….) And in their need to garden just one more time, they too often reach for a potentially dangerous and deadly tool -- their pruners.

Once you’ve decided to plant a tree, found the perfect spot and settled on the perfect variety, then it’s time to figure out if you want to plant a bare root, container or b & b tree. Since there are advantages and disadvantages to each type, it’s best to understand your options before you make a purchasing decision.

Hopefully, last week’s blog, In Awe of Trees, helped inspire you to add a tree (or even two) to your landscape this fall. Before going to check out what’s available though, it’s best to spend some time figuring out which kind of tree will be the best choice for you. Just like other plants in the landscape, placing the right tree in the right place is important. The designers at Embassy Landscape Group gave me some great points to ponder before heading out on a tree buying trip.

The 1 Trillion Tree Project  was in the news again last week. Although I personally believe that solving climate change issues is more complex than just planting trees, reading the article made me think about the importance of replacing the trees that we have lost over the past few years. Replanting our missing trees and adding some new ones is the right thing to do  -- not just for us but also for our immediate neighborhood, for our community at large and for the entire planet.