Quote:
People who buy a lot because it's got a mature madrona on it (and is there anything more beautiful?) and then want a nice bright-green lawn right up to the base of it- and poison it. I've finally got a Madrona the birds gave me- they are hard trees to chose a place to plant unless you're t the TOP of one of those unconsolodated glacial till cliffs (Dana has a nice patch to look at coming over Chambers Creek up the hill from the University Place Fred Meyers).
They look dead? Not if they're well-sited, and I'm immune to dropped leaves since I moved next to two acres of oak trees.
"Trees are weeds" is overly broad. Alders are green-manure, Cottonwoods are evidence that God wants us to pay attention, nobody needs Doug Fir in their yards what with God, the Forest Service and Weyerhaeuser planting them everywhere, and Oaks, Madrona, and Cascara are bird habitat.
(much much later)
I got distracted and left this behind, just came in from getting the Wyandotte coop to the point of moving the chickens in, callooo-callay, or would a moment of silence be more appropriate?
As soon as my emergency snack kicks in, the larger (and rebeared, Deirdre, I should have taken more photos!) offspring and I are going to go grab Ian and Sylvia, give them their Emprinex, and stick them in their new, clean, dry, windproof home, so YAY, right?
Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated.
YAY for Julia
I dunno, the old sturdy Doug Firs are also wonderful squirrel habitat, also some bats use them ... but I'd never plant a new one, enough of those spring up unbidden
don't forget the random cherries planted by the birds ... not to mention the maples, both vine and bigleaf ... more wildlife food from their seeds and habitat for much of the year
I love vine maples with all my heart and have nowhere to plant one- they do not do sand and full sun whatsoever: according to one of my reference books, Oregon White Oaks and Vine Maples have non-overlapping habitats. Lovely trees in every way, even the scientific name, Acer circinatum.
I have issues with Big Leaf Maples although mostly come down on the "for" side, only not in the yard or next to the road, because their leaves block stormdrains like nobody's business and their pollen bugs my nose (particle size not allergy per se).
Ian and Sylvia are in their new home, walking around with dry feet and snuggling down- they haven't gotten up on the perch yet, is all.
