There is a darkness inside my trees

[Chezenbred]

I'm on the phone with my wife at lunch a few minutes ago and she hears a nice load noise outside. Heres pics of a nearly dead beast falling, and getting barely stopped by a thin crotch. Had this fallen backward, it would have nailed the building back there, a special care facility for handicap kids.

Blame the poor pic qualities on the camera phone used. You can see the area where this tree was is pretty clear.. just leaves. The woman used to have miniature horses in this part of the lot. This area I plan to just let nature have back. But I think I'm going to have to check for more trees that might want to do this little dance number.

 

[Chezenbred]

There are plenty of holes in it for them to live in, for sure. We have a wonderful Pileated woodpecker in the area, as well as many flickers and red bellies. But I don't see any little mailboxes outside the holes, so it'll have to come down.

 

[kgbtechie]

I have children, and I live in the north-grass and children just do not go together. They are right when they tell you of the misery of trying to grow the lawn. You want wet, they need to be wet to be green. Right now, due to the drought we are having, I now have a pretty shade of brown as do my neighbors. Your trees give you something nothing else can, cool summers. My kids enjoyed my trees by climbing, playing around, chasing around them and making them a base for your for the game "your it". We had a play center outside built around the trees, the way Splish Splash did in their water park, to make the trees part of your life. I would give anything for the cool darkness a natural forest gives, the dampness could come from the layers on the forest, those leaves are composting and do retain heat and moisture. Remove them, and a lot of moisture will go also. Build around the trees, tree houses are much more fun the being careful on the lawn. By living with nature, you are showing your kids to respect it, as I did mine. My boys went on to be Eagle scouts and went every year to boy scout camp where they learned to respect nature. If misquitoes are a problem, look for standing water, and plant items that repel them. I have a big problem with mosquitoes, they love the hot dry land-I dont have any standing water, but someone must to have this area. I line my walks with lavendar, or get a bug zapper in areas where my kids used to play. Do reconsider the grass though, there are a lot of alternatives for kids to play on that are not water guzzlers and tree killers....Currently our area is having big time problems with the fertizers people are putting on their lawns as it washes into the sewer and out into the bay or ocean, or gets down to the aquafer we use for drinking water. I wish you luck in your quest, as I am a homeowner too and these decisions are not always as black and white as we would like them to be.

 

[Chezenbred]

It's all a balance. I want a yard, my kids will enjoy the yard. It will still be a pretty shady yard. There will still be half an acre of completely wild growth (minus the total dead trees that I have to take down for safety). My kids enjoy both parts of the yard, as do I. There will still be lots of trees. More than you see on most lots, but less then I had!

It's not like I'm blazing new territory from a forrest. This was a nearly unmaintained yard. It has moss, and areas of just plain dirt.

The apple comes down this weekend. We are very sad about it but are looking to plant something in it's place. Anyone have recommendations? Something that doesn't get all that tall, likes the shade and is attractive and decorative. Dogwoods and Japanese maples already being considered, but I'm open to ideas. Flowering would be the better since the Orioles liked the apple tree, I want to maintain a spot they can visit. One of my favorite birds, hearing them outside my window this past spring was very nice.

 

[Chezenbred]

I forgot to mention that While I was cutting down some trees that we impeding the driveway (a clump of 6 maples, all about 12 inches diameter).. I got 5 of them down and found that the remaining one is absolutely beautiful. Straight and true, nice canopy (although high up). We intend to spare it.

So I mean it when I've said that we watch things as we go and change our minds. We are putting in a new driveway and will have to make it more narrow than we first intended in order to retain this tree. You can see the tree in the picture called east side, right next to a yellow garden tool on the ground (I think that's my sledge).

 

[treeseer]

the remaining one is absolutely beautiful. Straight and true, nice canopy (although high up). We intend to spare it.... We are putting in a new driveway and will have to make it more narrow than we first intended in order to retain this tree. .

SMart man/ Yes careful how you design and install the driveway; plan for the roots, and for the tree's growth.