I didn't dress for tree planting, and i obviously didn't provide myself with a hat or a hairband. We weren't going to do any yard work. All we were gonna do was sit out on a warm, though cloudy, afternoon and take a short teatime break.
Then, since the weather was amenable, Larry set out to do something he really had to do, something he'd warned me had to be done; cut down this tree.
It's the natural child of the local Live Oaks, and decided to plant itself right by the wall, where, as it grew, it would break the wall down. Two others did the same thing, but they were small and easy to move to better locations. This one had grown too big to transplant.
Well, I mean, no tree is too big to transplant if you have the digging and transporting ability.... OK, I have this tree problem. I'm no gardener, but I can't resist a tree. Three Charlie-Brown-type evergreens are planted at various spots around the house.
So another Christmas gift from Larry to me is to help me try to save this one. It was one Big Dig, to extract and to plant. While I started to dig it a new home, Larry managed the amazing feat of getting it out of the ground with 80-90% of its roots. We resettled it several yards away, both of us at work at the new site now, digging trenches going out 3-4 feet in several directions to accomodate the roots.
We'll keep an eye on it and help it through the transition.
I guess this favorite pair of jeans will be yard-work clothes from now on.
2 comments:
Oh, Ruth, BLESS YOU for moving it and giving it another chance instead of just chopping it down.
I feel absolutely uplifted to read this post. I'm the same way - I'll go to ridiculous lengths to save a spider and take it outside, to move an earthworm from the sidewalk to the grass... when I thought the natural gas installers had killed my hosta plant, I actually cried.
Keep us updated on how the transplant takes, hm? I mean, sometimes they don't, but if they don't, you at least know that you tried.
It's over a week now and it looks good, no signs of shock! The valiant little thing! 8~) It had a few warm days to settle in - now we've got 30*f degrees out there. They are evergreens, but it should be in a dormant phase till spring. Still keeping my fingers crossed!
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