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| Peach tree in bloom |
I gardened with my husband all weekend. We (husband is shaking his head and pointing his finger at me) bought more trees. I have a serious thing for trees. They're gorgeous, calming, and good for everyone and everything. I love looking through tree guides, and I've used them plenty in plotting out my landscape. I plant for spring flowers, fall color, winter interest (ie. cool branching and bark), strategic shading etc... It really is a science and an art (and I'm no expert by any means). Hey, some girls like diamonds or shopping for shoes. I like trees (any plant, actually) and shopping at garden centers.
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| Yoshino Cherry tree in bloom. These don't fruit, but they're amongst those famous cherry trees in DC. |
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| Young Yoshino Cherry tree |
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| Plum tree in bloom. This one gives us a great plum harvest every year. |
The pictures shown are of trees we planted about five years ago. I have a lot of fruit trees (apricot, apple, plum, peach, persimmon, fig, sour cherry, and a hairless kiwi vine), as well as ornamental trees (japanese maples, Yoshino cherries, tulip tree, weeping willow, sugar maple, blue spruce, and many more). This year we're adding chinese chestnuts (I love chestnuts), another cherry, and I'm planning to get mulberry and paw-paw trees. I told you. I'm an addict. The good news is that I'm limited by planting space...I'm just not there yet ;).
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| Purple plum tree in bloom (non-fruiting) |
Any fellow tree/shrub/flower lovers out there? Are you more likely to plant it yourself, or pay someone to do the gardening for you?
Sure. Trees are OK LOL. Honestly, I haven't given them much thought. We have a huge yard and many, many trees. Some fruit, but they're primarily tropical given the climate here in Miami. We have a huge number of palm species in the yard and some that are considered very exotic. Right about now it gets too hot to consider gardening, but all you need to do is give something some water and it grows like mad. I love the green and shade they provide. We have a massive oak tree that shades the entire kid's play area out the back. I just love the sound of the wind through the leaves. Your trees look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteOh, I loooove palm trees, Kaily! Don't get me started! My idea of heaven is a serene beach with lots of palms. If I lived in Florida, I'd probably become obsesses with all the exotic varieties of palms...and I'd probably start a collection, LOL. Unfortunately, up in my area, they're limited to inside my house. Some in planters, and some in paintings. I'll have 'em any way I can get 'em ;).
ReplyDeleteOkay. That should have said 'obsessed'. See...palms had me so excited I started typing funny.
ReplyDeleteI love trees too! Especially flowering ones. I just talked to my landscape guy because I want to add a few more to my backyard for privacy. I'm thinking a magnolia, or a crepe myrtle or maybe a dogwood.
ReplyDeleteI have several crape myrtles, Jennifer. They have such beautiful bark, and I love how they flower during the summer when everything else is green. The tulip tree we just put in for shade is actually a type of magnolia (apparently). It grows fast, but it's really big. I think it gets to 30ft+ in diameter. The microclimate of the area you want to put the tree in is a big factor. Let me know what you end up planting!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures, Rula! I'm jealous. :-) We do have some nice trees, but the deer give them such a hard time. For the ten years we've lived here my poor DH has tried again and again to plant fruit trees--probably almost one hundred by now--and none of them has lived. I just mentioned the other day how much I'd love a tulip tree! The tree I'm proudest of is a willow that got blown over during Hurricane Isabel. We set her upright and kept our fingers crossed and she's probably twenty feet tall now. Sounds like you're really enjoying your spring! :-)
ReplyDeleteHey Kathy! Boy, those deer cost us a lot of money. When we first moved in and started planting, they really took us by surprise. I think they killed six trees overnight at one point. Then we got a dog, heh heh. Actually, we had to start putting cut, plastic drain pipes to cover the trunks, this organic fertilizer that the deer don't like the smell of, and many other contraptions. It's tougher to do on evergreens.
ReplyDeleteWe have a golden weeping willow and I just planted two cuttings off of it. Weeping willows were my favorite childhood tree.
I have serious tree envy. They are beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI always plant my own. Someday I'll be too old and decrepit to dig a proper hole, but until then I'll remain a do-it-yourselfer.
Hi Rula,
ReplyDeleteI love gardening! I have roses and big palms all around my house.
Hey Rula, I need to get in touch with you! Can you shoot me an email...nas_dean@ymail. com....I've looked around your blog for a contact me, yet can't seem to find an email address!
Hi Maria,
ReplyDeleteI'd say we do 99% of the planting/gardening ourselves. Honestly, no one takes the same care with digging a proper hole for your tree as you will. The few trees we had someone else do (they were too big) aren't doing so well. Besides, it feels good to watch a tree grow, knowing you planted it...doesn't it?
Hi Nas,
I sent you an email this morning. I'd already sent one to Anna as well. Thanks!
Gorgeous pictures!
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous. All we have to do is plant one tree in our garden and it's full. I would love to have a garden as big as yours.
My husband would be thrilled to do the work. He loves manual labor, especially since he has a desk job.
Thanks, Stina. Although there are great benefits to a smaller garden...such as less weeding. I garden organically, so weeding is a terrible chore.
ReplyDeleteYou know, there's something to be said about gardening labor. At least I get some excercise without thinking about it! :)