One of the things that attracted us to this house was a backyard full of trees! We were especially fond of the majestic Bradford Pear tree that towered over the house. It gave such beauty in all seasons and survived several snow- and ice-storms.
And then, last summer, its leaves started turning long before they should have. Ken sprayed and pruned, trying to save the tree. But this spring, it barely put on any blooms or leaves and it seemed apparent the tree was dying, as Bradford Pears are wont to do after the 20-plus years this one has probably been growing.
We had a tree guy come and take a look and he confirmed our fears. The tree was diseased and needed to come down. We were SO sad! I never knew you could have such feelings for a silly tree.
But down it came, limb by limb. And within half an hour, this tree that took decades to grow so tall was only a memory. :(
But even in death it gave us some gifts. A nice pile of free mulch.
Gorgeous sunrise views that we hadn't even realized we were missing!
And memories that will last a lifetime. We might replace it with a much smaller tree (although the budget is blown by the price of removing a tree!) Or we might just enjoy the views and wait for our other trees to grow tall and strong.
Summer 2018 – A Sad End to a Tree
Spring 2018
Such a late spring we had, but now, on June 1, it feels like summer already. Here are a few views of the deck and backyard:
The checkerboard patio continues to look great and offers a nice "landing" at the bottom of the deck stairs.
The Coke crate sedum
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| I'm starting to bring some of the plants inside in preparation for winter. Love how this pretty little sedum planter turned out. |
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| This is where the sedum came from. We had fun planting this back in April. |
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| The plants quickly filled out the box. |
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| Mid-June, we added a perfect hen and chick, and some pink blooming sedum from a farmer's market. |
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| In late July, the creeping thyme bloomed! |
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| Now, in mid-October, the thyme has almost covered up the Coke box. |
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| We'll be planting most of this in the ground, but it was a huge success in this spot and we hope to recreate it next spring. |
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| Meanwhile, I'm thoroughly enjoying having some of it inside to brighten the coming winter days. |
October is here
Tomato, tamahtoh...delish any way you slice 'em
Garage sale season...score!
Mid-September...favorite time of year
We've had such a pretty fall! Plenty of rain, not too hot, just perfect. I've been able to work at my laptop out on the deck many days. Makes for pleasant work.
August Rain
Rain in August in Kansas is fairly rare, so we were delighted to get over an inch of the stuff last night, with more in the forecast in the coming week. This is only about the second time we've seen the creek in the back out of its banks like this. It looks like we live at the river's edge!
Shasta Daisies...a new favorite!
Ken wanted Shasta Daisies in the worst way. I wasn't a fan of the idea, but I must say I'm coming around! Especially now that it's mid-June and these are tall enough to be seen right outside my office window. So cheery and bright. I've definitely become a fan!
A week in June
It's been a beautiful early June and these were the views throughout this past week:
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| The clematis is going nuts this year! It came to life before we had a chance to prune it this spring, and I'm thinking that was a good thing! |
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| The pink roses are blooming along with the orange butterfly weed. I love the color combination! |
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| It won't be long... |
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| ...before we have Shasta daisies galore! |
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| We so enjoyed watching this little clutch of robins hatch and grow up. Alas, today two of them met a tragic end at the paws of a squirrel! I'm still in shock and grief. (Didn't know squirrels would do such a thing! My opinion of squirrels has taken a nosedive. :( ) |
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| This hot little bunny cooling under the chair brightened our hearts after the robin tragedy. |
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| Though the days have been warm, the evenings are lovely, and I've sat out here many a night until after dark enjoying the sounds of our neighborhood. It feels completely like home these days. |
A collection of succulents
The head gardener (that would be Ken) has been wanting to plant a succulent box so yesterday we got everything we needed for that and put it all together in an old Coca-Cola box our oldest daughter gave me a few years ago. It turned out so pretty and I think it will do very well in this sunny spot on the back deck.
Magic Mulch
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| The jaunty tulips have given me joy all spring long! They were a gift from my Club Deb group in memory of my mom, who passed away last October. I didn't get these planted until mid-November and was afraid it might have been too late, but no! |
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