Category: Trees

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Where to get a Catalpa tree?

TheGardenLady received this question from Rose.

Where can I get some of these trees for my yard? I am hoping to find some because it reminds me of my youth. My neighbors had one and I was always picking them for my mom. There was also a tulip tree. They are very lovely trees. They draw hummingbirds. That is why I loved them. Also red trumpet vines and wisteria vines do the same. I want to make my yard a butterfly and hummingbird sanctuary.

This GardenLady, like you, grew up with Catalpa speciosa trees – one of its common names is the Northern Catalpa – and loved the flower as well
as the lovely heart-shaped leaf (see here).

On my property today, there is one wild catalpa growing. As you may recall as a child, Catalpa speciosa has loads of seeds. They start out looking like long green beans and when they ripen, the seeds become extremely dark brown. These seeds often germinate so that one can find baby catalpa trees growing in the neighborhood. This happened on my property, so that I now have at least one baby catalpa tree growing with the mother near by – the other baby trees I find, I give away. Also, on the street where I live, they planted Catalpa speciosa as street trees where one can find all these seeds hanging from the branches or on the ground. Why am I mentioning this? Because if you know someone who owns a catalpa tree or know where one is growing, I am sure the owners of the tree would be willing to let you take some of those seed pods because they are messy when they fall to the ground and owners usually rake them up. Early spring is the perfect time to plant those seeds. Here are directions for how to germinate these catalpa seeds if you are willing to wait a few years until your tree grows large enough to bear flowers. It took my baby catalpa tree about ten years before it started having flowers.

But if you want a larger tree, you can find many online sources that sell Catalpa speciosa including the Arbor Day Foundation, which is a charity.
I have found the Arbor Day Foundation trees to be very small so if you want to buy a larger plant, just Google in “Catalpa speciosa” to find other nurseries online that sell the trees and decide where you want to buy the tree.

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Straightening a Damaged or Bent Tree

TheGardenLady received this question C.J.Putnam:

During this drought, I noticed my deodor cedar had developed a lean that I don’t believe it had previously.  It was always crowded by a very large pine nearby which was removed a few years ago, but it seems to have developed a wrinkled section of trunk and the lean is more pronounced from the wrinkled part up.  I suspect this is from the wind.  I had not been watering it because there is an aquifer running beneath the property and I assumed it was getting water there but the aquifer may have been drained during the drought.  It is about 40 years old and very, very, tall.  I had an arborist look at it and he suggested trimming it to control windsail, but the lean worries me so much, I’m wondering if I should just go ahead and remove it.  It is a beautiful tree, the most beautiful tree on the property, but it looks dangerous leaning the way it does.

This Garden Lady loves her trees. And Cedrus deodara being one of the most magnificent of trees, TheGardenLady planted one in her back yard. Because of this love, I will suggest doing whatever one can to save a tree. One can always cut a tree down – that’s a ” no brainer.”  First, if you can afford it,  I would get a second opinion.  Be sure that the tree service is certified. I do not recommend any service, but I can tell you that I have used Bartlett Tree Experts.

Continue reading “Straightening a Damaged or Bent Tree”

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Capsula Mundi: Which trees are best for your egg-shaped burial pods?

Recently people have been telling TheGardenLady of a new and exciting burial concept. Two Italian designers want to  make cemeteries more eco-friendly by replacing headstones with trees. They call their concept “Capsula Mundi,” and it aims to replace coffins with egg-shaped burial pods.  On top of the pods they will plant a tree so that instead of a field of gravestones, there will be a lovely forest. This is still in the concept stage.

TheGardenLady finds this concept interesting but wants to find out which trees would be chosen to be planted. After all, trees like humans have a life span. All trees live a finite number of years. Some trees only live about 50 years.  For example, if you want a flowering tree it might not live very long. One of the longest lived flowering trees is a magnolia grandiflora that has lived only about 120 years, Of course for it to live this long it has to be planted in the proper location. (see here)

Continue reading “Capsula Mundi: Which trees are best for your egg-shaped burial pods?”

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Helping a Languishing Maple Tree

 

TheGardenLady received the following question from Jean.

I live in a condo-type community and some of my yard is maintained by the management company. There is a maple tree that was planted about 8 years ago. It’s the third one in that spot because the first two died. After eight years, it doesn’t look much different than it did when they planted it. Every year, it hobbles along and the leaves turn before the surrounding trees, and fall off sooner. The bed it is planted in is sort of a high mound. It is watered with a sprinkle type irrigation system every few days. I haven’t fertilized it, and I’m not sure if the landscape company does. But I’m sure they treat it the same as everyone else’s trees. The other ones grow, and mine doesn’t. Do you have any suggestions?

You asked for some suggestions about the maple tree that does not look like it is thriving. I will give a few suggestions since it is difficult to give an accurate diagnosis without seeing the tree or at least some good photos of the tree.

First you did not mention if you checked to see if the tree has any visible diseases or pests that could cause problems. Maple trees, though hardy, do have some disease and pest problems. Check the tree carefully to see if you notice any problems. Some things to look for are on this website. I always recommend that you take some tree samples and photos to your nearest Master Gardener office or your state agricultural extension office for a diagnosis.
Continue reading “Helping a Languishing Maple Tree”

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Are you a tree hugger?

Tree of Hippocrates by CyberMacs

Are readers of TheGardenLady blog tree huggers or tree lovers like this Garden Lady is?  How many people are there who make pilgrimages to old trees or who keep a list of the oldest trees they have seen, like bird watchers checking off each bird? Some of these old trees have the most interesting trunks- true works of G-d’s sculptural art.  I wish I had thought of visiting ancient trees when I traveled more. But I have decided it is never too late to start making a check list.

For a list of the world’s oldest trees, go to Wikipedia. The list of verified ages of trees is mostly from the US. It is amazing how many of the oldest trees are in the US. Wikipedia also lists ancient tress from around the world but here the ages are not verified, just guesstimated.

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Making something special for the garden

Arbor and Gravel Path — explored 🙂 by Chickens in the Trees…

TheGardenLady is always looking for creative and inexpensive ideas for planters or  to make something special for the garden.

With the storms that knocked down so many trees in our yards, I have been searching for uses of these trees other than having the arborist or the person cutting the fallen trees just cutting the trees and removing the trunks and branches.  If you are creative you should be able to reclaim some of the tree material for yourself or for others to use. The people who haul away your trunks will probably make mulch of your trees and resell it or sell it as firewood. Of course, you can do that, too.  But you might want to be a bit more creative. So look at your trees when they are down to try to see how you can recycle and reuse the material. Of course, if the tree was consumed by nasty insects like tree borers and you know that is what caused the tree’s demise, do not use those trees, just discard unhealthy trees. (see here) Use only trees you know to be healthy that were downed by a storm or that had to be removed for esthetic reasons.

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Planting perennial shrubs and trees in December

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/3253644433/

forced spring by Darwin Bell

Where TheGardenLady lives, we are having unusually warm weather. Of course, winter officially arrives on Dec. 21 st. So this is still a good time to be out planting perennial shrubs and trees.

The soil is still soft enough for you to dig ample holes. When your shrub or tree is planted now, it will get enough water in the winter for it to acclimate in your location.

Even though nurseries are filled with Christmas plants, ask if they have shrubs or trees you want and ask to see if they will still give you a discount. One nursery told TheGardenLady that the trees I am looking for are still in their field, so I know the roots will be good. Even though they will have to dig them for me, they will give me 30% off.

Continue reading “Planting perennial shrubs and trees in December”

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Get a tax deduction for damage to trees from storm

Fallen Tree by Dendroica cerulea

Did you know that you may be able to take a tax deduction for a tree that fell down because of the storms? To get the deduction will require a specially-trained expert or consulting arborist to assess the value of the lost tree. Read this article to see how to apply for a deduction.

There is an expression that “It is too late to bolt the barn door after the horse was stolen” or some variation on that statement. (see here) TheGardenLady understands this, and this is why she has written two posts on how to prepare for winter or future electrical outages AFTER “Hurricane” Sandy hit. But with the news reporting earthquakes in areas not normally known as earthquake areas or with a second Nor’easter Storm that just hit New Jersey and New York, maybe it isn’t too late to give some suggestions for preparedness in the event of more horrible weather.  (My children have taken to referring to ThisGardenLady as Debbie Downer, the fictional Saturday Night Live character who always sees the down side of things that are happening in the world today. Watch this episode with Debbie Downer celebrating Thanksgiving.)

The Farmers’ Almanac is predicting a colder than usual winter for the Northeast and northern states, if one thinks the Farmers’ Almanac is able to read the crystal ball for prognostication or prophesy. I read that they claim  80% accuracy.

 

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What to do with damaged trees after Hurricane Sandy

Calm Before the Storm by pheαnix

TheGardenLady’s heart goes out to all the people who lost so much in the wake of the massive storm Sandy. I cannot fathom how people are coping with all the devastation.

For those who were lucky to just lose trees or branches, I offer a little advice.

If there are broken branches, don’t hesitate to have them cut off. This is not real pruning- you can cut off dead or damaged branches any time of the year.

Continue reading “What to do with damaged trees after Hurricane Sandy”

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Prunus Mume aka Japanese Apricot

Winter in the Atlanta Botanical Garden – Prunus mume “Peggy Clarke” by UGArdener

An Asian friend told me about a tree that ThisGardenLady had never heard about in the US. And not only had I not heard of this tree in the US, but this friend told me that the tree blooms in the WINTER in my Hardiness Temperature area which is zone 6B. The tree is Prunus mume or the Japanese Apricot. I know that many of the trees with prunus in their names will grow in my temp. zone because prunus is a genus that includes plums, peaches and apricots, etc. and there are many prunus trees growing here. But the prunus trees and shrubs that I know bloom in the spring not the winter. Certainly, I thought, my friend must be mistaken about Prunus mume’s bloom time. (see here)

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