As Spring
threatens the edges of Winter’s complacency, along with the usual speculations
as to what the new season will bring, one question occupies my mind. Have I killed them?
We host a
neighborhood mailbox where folks make an afternoon trip to see what the postman
did bring. The friendly overbearing
lilac is on our side of the property line.
Maybe it will
remain friendly, providing a little welcome shade this summer without being
overbearing. Or have I killed it?
Yes, aspens
provide shade and are beautiful in the fall when their leaves change colors. We have six of them standing guard around
house and property line.
But they far
outdo the locust when it comes to throwing up shoots from shallow roots all
around the tree. Left unchecked, they
will soon engulf your house with a grove.
I pulled and nipped the twiggies everywhere throughout the yard. But some had grown beyond the loppers.
South side renegade
East side volunteer and shingle massagers
Out came the
chainsaw.
Down went the volunteers. Anything touching the house or fence fell victim
to the conscienceless buzzing steel-fanged monster.
What was good for
the front yard was good for the backyard.
This one bled
profusely when I took off some lower branches.
The flowing sap stopped the chainsaw and sent me scurrying to the
internet to find that bleeding is to be expected and will not kill the tree (maybe)
especially in late winter—early spring.
The shrubs got the
same treatment.
I left a few old
guys to guarantee survival, maybe.
The damage is done and cannot be undone. Every warm sunny say takes a step closer to answering
the question—have I killed them?
Meanwhile, the
evidence of the slaughter must be disposed of.
It took four or five trips. I
lost count.
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