Goodbye, dead trees

SavATree removed chopped down three dead or dying trees last weekend, including the three-trunked monster (and its sidekick, the scraggly pine) in front. I now need to decide whether I can stomach putting another, albeit smaller, tree there when Birch Hill Landscaping re-does that spot.

We left a stump in back so Emma can play on it. As you can see from the chainsaw wound, they nearly cut the whole thing down, but Pat flagged it in time.

And the third tree was on the side of our house - we left most of the trunk as a draw for wildlife and because we like seeing the trunk out our windows.

And here is what the flowers look like in front these days. They really need some serious company. It has been raining a ton here and I have been working quite a bit, so I haven't found the time.

Wormwood in foreground; lavender behind it. I cut both back to nothing in early spring.

Phlox

Tree pruning

This coming Tuesday, a crew from SavATree will be pruning our little forest - expensive but necessary. Their arborist Ryan Case is very nice and helpful.

We're also working with them to figure out cutting down the dying/compromised trees in the front and on the south side of the house, but meanwhile here's what's already scheduled:

General Tree Care
Location of plant material is from the perspective of main entry point and targets (trees and shrubs) are oriented in a clockwise direction. One (1) 22" DBH Oak, Chestnut (Quercus prinus), Rear Yard- Perform hazard reduction pruning to include crown cleaning of deadwood 2" in diameter and greater to reduce large falling deadwood. One (1) 28" DBH Oak, Red (Quercus rubra), Rear yard- Perform hazard reduction pruning to include crown cleaning of deadwood 2" in diameter and greater to reduce large falling deadwood. One (1) 14" Oak, Chestnut (Quercus prinus) Rear Yard- Perform maintenance pruning to include crown cleaning of deadwood 1" in diameter and greater to enhance health and aesthetics One (1) 25" DBH Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Rear Yard- Perform hazard reduction pruning to include crown cleaning of deadwood 2" in diameter and greater to reduce large falling deadwood. One (1) 14" DBH Hickory, Bitternut (Carya cordiformis)-Rear yard- Perform maintenance pruning to include crown cleaning of deadwood 1" in diameter and greater to enhance health and aesthetics One (1) 50" DBH Oak, Red (Quercus rubra)-Rear yard- Perform hazard reduction pruning to include crown cleaning of deadwood 2" in diameter and greater to reduce large falling deadwood. Also, perform a weight reduction on several arching secondary limbs over/toward the roofline and upper right canopy. Also, perform installation of 2 steel cables to help provide supplemental support to the co-dominant leads. One (1) 26" DBH Oak, Pin (Quercus palustris)-Rear yard- Perform hazard reduction pruning to include crown cleaning of deadwood 2" in diameter and greater to reduce large falling deadwood. Plant Health Care ArborKelp Plus Treatment - Mid Season This unique biostimulant consists of sea kelp and other biologically active components, enhanced by additives prescribed by your arborist specifically for the needs of your landscape. This mixture is recommended for trees which are weakened by construction, insect damage or transplant shock.   Service Details:  1 Japanese Maple-Rear Yard

Catching up

Summer is for BEING outdoors, not BLOGGING about outdoors. So let us catch up (though it is still almost 80 outside!).

First, before I forget, I looked it up and I'm in gardening zone 7A.

I just ordered some bulbs today, based largely on deer resistance, except for the irresistible tulips:

This was just yesterday, at Reeves-Reed Arboretum nearby. It is small, but lovely, even this late in the year.

Black-capped chickadee, Sept. 17

Sept 17....what the heck? As if I can identify this bird based on this picture? The point is that there are occasionally brownish birds that pass quickly through, I never manage to get a good photo or even a good look, I don't know what they are (and they're not even all the same kind), and it drives me crazy. Sigh.

I don't know what this flowering shrub is - it was here when we moved in. We didn't even realize it would bloom! It was at its peak around Aug. 23, and just gorgeous. Wish I could identify it!

Look at the size of this fungus! This was Sept. 3

This just shows that there was a branch that the tree removal people broke on the live tree, and didn't notice, and now it has brown leaves, obvi. I was going to follow up and ask them to remove it and I, uh, didn't.

Tree removal

One of the four trees clustered at the base of our hill in our front yard was dead on (our) arrival when we moved in, though of course we didn't realize it until spring.

I got quotes from 3 companies to remove it: Fred at Pyontek, who said $1250, Joe at Trusty Tree, $1200, and Julian at Frank's Tree Service, $1000. So we went with Frank's, and while it took a few weeks to schedule, today the tree is gone, along with the dead branches on the adjacent tree. It was fascinating to watch.

They took it down in pieces.

Then the branches went in the chipper.

The trunk was cut into much smaller pieces, which got hauled off in a truck.

When the stump was only about 8-9 feet high, they cut it at the bottom and toppled it.

Cutting off one branch in another of the trees meant the guy climbed very high into the tree, chainsaw and all, and eventually let himself back down with a rope! It did not look fun to me, but he seemed to be enjoying it. I wish I had a picture of that.