A New Look in the Garden

 

I think we've all heard that old expression "looks can be deceiving".

That would most definitely hold true for this photo of the Kwanzan Cherry tree blooming away in the garden in April.

Upon closer inspection it would be easy to see a trunk that was diseased and beginning to decay.

It would also be evident that the root system was heading for the nearby cement sidewalk.  In truth, the tree had outgrown it's home.

In fact the entire bed had become overgrown.

It's funny how you can live somewhere for years and know that the landscaping has grown through the years, but then one day it really hits you how out of control it has become.  These camellias used to be a nice tidy row under the kitchen windows.  Suddenly no amount of pruning could keep them below the windows and it was gradually obstructing the view as well as making the kitchen feel a bit closed in.  Call me strange, but when I look out the window I like to see the view and not feel like the view is overtaking the house.

Along with the overgrown vegetation, the lighting was in a sorry state.  We talked a bit about spray painting them all until we discovered that several of them were rusted right through.  Believe it or not, this is one of the better looking ones :/.

Clearly action needed to be taken.

 Lacking the proper equipment for the job, we called in the experts.

In under an hour my beautiful Kwanzan Cherry was no longer with us.

One day's work was all it took to totally eliminate sixteen years of growth.  I wouldn't even want to guess how long it would have taken Brett and I to do that.  Maybe another sixteen years :D.

On a side note,

see that little hole between the bricks?

One of the workers rang the doorbell to let us know he had watched a five foot long black snake slither in there.  He wondered if that might lead into the house.  Yikes!!  Thankfully it is an air vent into the crawl space.  I guess that's something to be thankful for although it still gives me the creeps to think of him slithering about under my house.  I'm hoping that the removal of the tall shrubbery will make him feel more vulnerable and perhaps he will mosey on out of here.

Although we will miss the week in April when that Kwanzan Cherry put on her show, we now look forward to getting to know this new garden space.  Much less to keep pruned and hopefully less to camouflage that unwanted visitor.