I Can’t Believe They Took the Whole Tree

Well, they didn’t. Most of the huge tree standing high above the garden was cut down last week. We retained 24” for planting. We knew that for all its height and leafy crown, the tree had lots of rot and had been serving as a home for crowds of chipmunks eating the garden underground. Can you see the stump on the hill? Pruning is sometimes an opportunity for new things. I wait all summer for prices to drop at local nurseries when autumn planting begins!

Autumn Planting
The cut tree had a root system that dominated the entire hill. In preparing for the tree guys, I removed a swath of plants to clear a tree cutting workspace ensured azalea safety. It was hard to watch the guys work but it also gave me time to consider a better layout for that section of the hill.
Autumn Planting
Can’t say enough about the tree guys. We removed the garden gate and the opening was just wide enough to squeak through the hybrid diesel/electric lift. And they cleaned up too! https://www.casadeitree.com/contact/1881148
Autumn Plants
Welcome to the new Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea and Blue Arrow Red Cedar. Can you guess which one is the Blue Arrow? I also relocated an Alberta Spruce from the garden below that suffered a mite attack in early spring. The damaged spruce now faces the hill so you can only see its beauteous side. We had to chisel out a bit of trunk for the Blue Arrow and just be sure it gets enough water through the winter. The variety is good for container planting.
Autumn Planting
I was thrilled to have an arborist soak the boxwoods with a pesticide to attack a Leaf Miner infestation. My “over-the-counter” spray was just not working. I then sprinkled a pre-winter dose of Plant-tone to boost root growth. I was surprised to learn that Holly-tone was not a fit. https://www.espoma.com/trees-shrubs/feed-boxwood-with-organic-plant-food-in-early-spring/ And yes, that’s Larry on the hill, helping to mine rocks for planting the Fire Chief we captured from the back yard.
Watermelon returns! Very soon, as the azalea leaves color up red, a NEW Watermelon scarf is at press, in a NEW size.

Let’s Hear it For Music!

Musicians are suffering the lack of opportunity to share their music with others. Larry discovered regular music outdoors at the Egremont Barn in MA and also in Watertown CT at South Farms. Both great finds…now that there’s a chill in the air…what next? Stay tuned, you know we’ll be hunting. Here’s a fun tune for you. Honeysuckle from Boston area. We saw them last week at Egremont. Something Worth Having.

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