This was a tree
but now it’s not
The base of it began to rot
A man climbed up
the tree came down
Now there’s a hole
deep in the ground.
FLOW
This Was A Tree
Trees
What is Left?
The truck hauled away a load of sawdust from the chipper.
Many logs are left to season and be cut into firewood.
The stump of the Fairy Tree is a gorgeous shape.
There was a glow-in-the-dark star left on the stump.
The rotten roots at the water had a giant hole in the center.
Generally it is not as messy as expected.
The tree that was trimmed up looks like I envisioned.
I am pleased with this progress, years overdue.
FLOW
Old Oaks
When oaks get messy it’s a sign of decline. There are symptoms that let you know when one needs to go. Conch fungi at the base should not be ignored.
The tree near the water had been showing signs by growing fungi at its base and a hole forming underneath.
The tree near the ramp had its roots in the septic lines and grew extremely fast. The death at its core was sort of a surprise.
The oak at the road was planted thirty years ago. This one was trimmed on one side due to power lines. That meant the side toward the house and downhill was fuller and thus heavier.
We hired a company we have used several times before, Watt Tree Service. They do excellent work and clean up as they work.
This experienced crew provided several hours of entertainment today. The climber is sixty-one years old and is a third-generation climber. His brother also climbs and was doing a different job today right across the river.
If you have trees, you need to keep an eye out for decline, disease and bad form. It is important to hire experts, so that your trees will not be trimmed like lollipops that will medusa out later and cause even more problems.
It is worth paying for experienced, skilled crews with the proper equipment. Tree problems just get worse if not addressed.
FLOWER
The Oak Out My Window
Growing up, I had an oak watching over me.
It was small when I was small. We both grew.
Now it reaches for the sky with its beautiful branches.
I walked around my old home place on Christmas Eve.
Feeling grateful for a safe place to grow up.
Happy I had a room under this lovely, sheltering tree.
FLOW
A Tree for All Seasons
I was fascinated by an unusual tree at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens.
Its name is Chinese Parasol Tree, Firmiana simplex.
It had several features that were of interest.
One was its green bark which had an unusual texture.
Also, its leaves were huge and complex.
It had a nice shape overall that made it attractive from a distance.
This may be a tree for all seasons.
Flower
Oh Those Knees
I have always found the knees of the Bald Cypress trees fascinating.
(It may be because my Mamaw had one in her living room.)
So when the Edisto Memorial Gardens also had a Cypress Swamp walkway,
I found myself knee-deep in my deeply-rooted fascination.
I could not believe the diversity in shape and arrangement.
One group even looked like a nativity scene.
Yes, there were roses! I will eventually get to those.
But for this post we will be lovin’ on some Taxodium distichum parts.
The roots are unusual, but so are the cones.
My cousins did get a tiny bit of attention during the visit.
Next come the roses and some fowl.
Stick around folks.
Flower
My Coffee Tree
My friend Maria gave me a Coffee Tree.
It has tripled in size.
Now it is covered in beautiful white blooms.
Will there be beans?
That’s up to the bees.
Flow
Conk up: Tree down
I am fascinated by all things fungi.
This particular conk, Inonotus dryadeus, has been featured in my posts before.
It was growing at the base of a huge oak in my neighbors’ yard.
Another name for this type of fungi is “white rot.”
It is a symptom of the decline of the tree it is on.
The more conks present, the more disease.
Conks are a symptom, not a cause.
Last week the tree came down,
with some help from a team of men with ropes and chain saws.
My neighbor left the conk on my stone bench because she knew I would want to keep it.
Here it is now out of the ground and upside down.
I think it is beautiful.
Maybe I could make it into a hat to match these shoes?
FLOWER
A Perfect Day for Plants and Poetry
I guess the stars were aligned in my favor yesterday. I could not have wished for a better day. My dreams are small and unusual, so the odds are slim of them coming to fruition…but yesterday had its miracle moments. Plants are my “stars” you see.
I went back to one of my alma maters for an unplanned visit to their green houses and botanical gardens. I actually bumped into my first EVER botany professor from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I got my master’s degree from there many years ago.
As my sister and I perused the plants on sale, we struck up a conversation with a woman carrying a bag made of bark. Her name was Carla Vitez.
She was there to give a talk about trees that included history and poetry. She invited us on a practice run of her tour. How could we refuse?
The talk and tour occurred in the Van Landingham Glen across the street from the greenhouses. The glen is full of many species of trees and dozens of types of Rhododendron and azaleas which are in bloom now. The sizes and colors of blooms were amazing.
My two favorites were a white rhododendron ‘Bellringer’ and a red ‘Vivacious.’
We got a condensed version of “In the Company of Trees.” We were spellbound. She eloquently quoted the words of Donald Culross Peattie as she stood by the featured trees.
We heard the parts of her talk about the White Oak, Pawpaw, Bigleaf Magnolia and Shagbark Hickory. When she talked about the Beech trees and nuts and the, now extinct, Passenger Pigeons, I teared up.
Carla Vitez will be giving the talk and tour again on Sunday at two o’clock. It may be full all ready. If you wish to hear it, you may need to call. Maybe they can add another tour in sometime soon. Carla perfectly mixed art and nature, present and past, to include her audience in a time travel through the trees.
I will share two more little miracles on the tour. A bench honoring my wonderful friend “The Genius”, Steve Baldwin.
https://floweralley.org/2016/06/18/whats-your-seed/
and a quote from the tomb of a much admired woman, Bonnie Cone, who started UNCC.
Flower is always searching for her place you see. My people have been here and thus I belong here also.
I will share photos from the greenhouses in another post. Some of my little stars in the yard need my attention today. That was another part of my perfect day yesterday. I acquired some more green little friends. Introductions must wait. They need to get settled.
FLOWER
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