Nax's Ornamental pear tree x 1
Pyrus Calleryana

While digging bulbs today, I found a baby. It seems to be the offspring of my lost ornamental pear. It’s not in a bad place, although if I let it grow it will change my sunny border to a shady border as well as shading the Knot garden in the morning. But that’s a few years off. For now, a gift from the goddess.

One of the first major elements of my garden, the ornamental pear, came down today. I bought this little guy from K-Mart of all places. It was so small it fit into the back seat of my car, and I think cost all of $10. The arborist said these things all fall down after 20 years; who knew. Anyway, the tree removers did pretty well avoiding the experimental garden, they did trample my little patch of mixed seeds, but it was just a tiny area and was so experimental I forgot it was there until I realized they were trampling it. Given the way the New Patio looks now, I think I’ll move some of the new landscaping I had planned for next spring up. They left a mess; if I have to do that much work, I might as well start right in on the new plan.

That bottom corner of the garden is now blazingly sunny, which is too bad, as this was the only shady area in the garden and was a nice retreat. I suppose this will be good for the Wagon Wheel vegetable garden for the next few years until a new tree (which I really must put in) shades it again. We’ll put a Filbert there in the spring, to match the one out front.

They left enough long thin branches to make an arbor, and large pieces for furniture and sculpture. Didn’t leave quite as much mulch as I hoped for, not enough for a 12 foot path. The color of the wood is incredible— a rich golden white. I wish there was some way to preserve it as the wood dries.

After discovering that the Pope John rose is a climber and needs a trellis, I’ve been researching trellises for my idea of creating a hidden garden at the new patio, with a path behind the spirea and discovered that trellises are freaking expensive. Then I realized I’ve got this big ole tree that’s going to be coming down. Got up on a ladder (and a stool, truth be told) with my old handsaw this morning and cut down any branch I could reach that was 2" diameter or less. I’ll get Bill to figure out how to make a trellis out of these (I could probably make one, but he’ll do it right.) We get to keep the pear tree, after a fashion, we don’t use unnecessary resources, and we save $400. Yay!