Cultivating My Inner Tree

Yesterday I spent most of the morning running to wholesale nurseries for clients. Yes, I hold a retail plant license. Many of my clients have limited time. Some are working moms. Others are world-travelling executives. Some just don’t drive. You get the picture. They might love trips to the retail nursery, but sometimes it just makes sense for them to have me deliver plants to their door.

Tomorrow I’m coaching a client on putting new plants into her garden. Rather than spend hours and hours shopping with me, she decided to have me buy the plants for her and bring them to our session. This is a great service for her, and its loads of fun for me. As a plant geek, I adore a chance to visit the nurseries and hand-select the best plant options to fit each clients needs — from budget to privacy to anything else.

 After I was finished with my client shopping, I took a few minutes to walk thru the nursery to see what fabulous new plants were in stock. And, I was thrilled to find two trees that I’ve been wanting.

One is an Azara microphylla, which is a broadleaf evergreen with tiny, shiny dark green leaves. It grows fairly vertically, becoming wider with age. In the spring it has tiny yellow flower that are very fragrant, especially on warmer days. In the past I just haven’t found ones large enough for my needs. They aren’t super fast grower, so usually my suppliers only have them at about 2-3′ tall, max. My score was a 7′ tall one with beautiful tree-like form. It was a bit beyond the budget of zero I’d planned to spend, but I knew the opportunity to find a nice one at this size wouldn’t be around for long, so I grabbed it up. (See, if you send me to shop for you, you’ll have the benefit of someone who knows a “must-have” buy!)

The second score is a Clerodendrum trichotomum or Harlequin Glorybower. This sweet little tree/large shrub offers beautiful pinkish white flowers with abundant jasmine-esque fragrance in late summer, followed/overlapped by shiny metalic pink and purple fruit. It is a charming tree when doing its thing, but it is fairly ugly when dormant. It will go in a blended border to help hide its uglier side. I’ll share a photo of this beauty later.

Quite often my clients struggle with inherited gardens that include desirable plants that are just in the wrong location. What was once a small shrub near a foundation may have grown into a small tree that now encroaches on windows and building sidings becoming access paths for rats to rooftops. A random tree may be growing in the middle a lawn where its bark is suceptible to the wrath of the lawnmower. Really the list goes on. So the question becomes what to do about these issues?

In some cases inappropriate pruning has been the solution. More than once I’ve visited a new client with overgrown trees near foundations. Rather than know they have the power to move the tree to a new location, the client (or the client’s mow-blow-go gardener) whacks away at the tree trying to “make it smaller”. This, as any of my clients who have taken pruning lessons knows, results in more problems than solutions. Random whacking removes one limb, replacing it with countless others that are weaker than the original. It doesn’t solve the problem. The rats can still use the ladder. The roots of the tree can continue to hump against the foundation. Surrounding walkways continue to heave. Siding continues to be compromised. Again, what should be done?

Ideally, in the first place, the garden designer should have selected an appropriate plant for an appropriate place. Too often longterm plant growth (along with exposure requirements and more) are ignored by designers (or installers). Since we’re looking at situations where the problem is already in place, the ideal solution is to move the wrong plant to the right place.

Moving a tree can be a daunting task. They’re heavy. They’re alive. They’re fragile. Still, they’re movable. In some cases moving a tree means removing it altogether. If it’s been damaged significantly it may require more renovation work than you’re likely to perform. As well, it may never recover from past damage. If it is in a location where hardscape makes it impossible to remove the rootball, then realistically it won’t survive transplanting. However, if the tree is in decent shape and you have the right tools for the job, moving it to a new location is possible. Don’t have a new location for it yourself? Consider donating it on craigslist or to a local park instead. Remember, this is a living being that contributes to the overall well-being of the planet!

In some cases a tree is just too big to move by hand. But, if access is available, there are tree services that can safely and effectively move your tree for you. Companies like Washington-state-based Big Tree Supply specialize in supplying and moving big trees.

In other cases trees can be moved by hand using the right tools, enough people and doing it at the right time of year. In most cases the right time of year means moving a tree in winter, but late enough in the winter that the ground isn’t frozen. Deciduous trees are dormant this time of year. Evergreens are photosynthesizing, but their growth is significantly curtailed in winter. Yes, finding the balance between moving a plant while it is dormant but while the ground is not frozen can be tenuous. But it is possible. Too, it is possible to move trees after they break bud in spring, but it is harder on the plant.

If a tree is a late winter/early spring bloomer, finding the right time to transplant has another obstacle to overcome — flower buds. Flowering takes an enormous amount of energy from a plant. Too, it uses many of the same nutrients that the plant uses to maintain overall health and to establish new root growth. So, it may behoove you to move a late winter blooming tree, like a star magnolia, right after flowering but before the spring growth surge begins. If the tree is forming fruit, consider knocking them off to encourage the plant to focus its growth underground.

Now that you’ve read a variety of caveots around transplanting your tree, you must be anxious to actually find out how to make the move. Well, tune in soon for part two: Garden Coach on Moving a Dormant Stewartia Tree. I promise, it’s coming soon!

February is a busy month for gardeners. We’re out evaluating what we plan to do in the next year. We’re digging up plants to move them. We’re pruning and cleaning. The days become noticeably lighter and lighter as February progresses. And, a few warm days remind us that spring is just around the corner. Winter blooming shrubs like flowering quince, forsythia, winter hazel, camellia, and daphne brighten the longer, end-of-winter days. Tiny bulbs begin to appear – masses of crocus, smatterings of snowdrops, and tight, fragrant towers of hyacinth begin to pop up in otherwise bare beds. The draw to enter the garden, clearing away leaf duff to reveal these harbingers of spring, calls us out of our cozy winter homes, beckoning to our seasonal call to garden.

Adding to the gardening siren’s song are garden shows. Preparing for, attending, and working these garden shows is a regular part of my February schedule. This year, in addition to my regular attendance at the spectacular Northwest Flower and Garden Show, I traveled from coast-to-coast to attend and speak at the Maymont Garden Show, which is held in Richmond, Virginia. Both the Seattle Northwest show and the Richmond Maymont show began the third week of February this year, so it’s been a whirlwind ride over the last week!

It’s hard to believe but just a week prior to the day day I am writing this article, I attended the Northwest Flower & Garden Show Gala event. Here I had the opportunity to get up-close and personal with the gardens and their creators – with a glass of wine and a plate of delicious food in hand. The Gala is a fundraiser for the Seattle Arboretum, and its an annual opportunity for me to connect with my peers in the industry. Plus, I can see the gardens without all the crowds. This year I got close to some great gardens, seeing creative uses of stone and skis as fencing. Too, I became acquainted with unfamiliar plants like Begonia magnificum and a yellow-blooming pitcher plant.

The day following the gala, I returned to the show to work. I took a shift at this year’s WSNLA show garden, passing out locator guides and explaining elements of the garden to members of the public seeing the garden for the first time. WSNLA’s garden took several coveted awards including a gold medal, a Sunset Magazine award and the Founder’s Cup award. After my shift, I wandered through the show, purchasing a few saw replacement blades and a pair of shears for a friend. Then, I rushed home to finish packing for my flight the next day across country.

I arrived in Richmond late Thursday night, changing planes in Detroit where I was nearly sidetracked by ice-storm flight cancellations. Richmond itself was hit with a mild ice storm in the wee hours after my arrival. I awoke to a white, shimmering morning. I enjoyed family on Friday, marveling at the old deciduous forests filled with hawks, vultures, squirrels, yellow finches, red-headed woodpeckers, and my giggling niece and nephew. Friday night I felt a slight dryness in my throat. I went to bed hoping it was just allergies or being tired.

Saturday I woke up to a sore throat. Uh-oh. I caught something on my flight over. But, Saturday I had the honor of meeting Nori, “The Moss Lady”.  Nori has been gardening at her home for over 30 years, and she is well known as “the Moss Lady”. I was very inspired by her successful mission to remove all the grass in her garden, replacing it with rolling “lawns” of moss. She lives in a forest where grass simply does not thrive. After spending years battling the moss, trying to get the lawn to grow, she realized that doing the opposite might be just the ticket. And, really, the garden is stunning. Now, she readily admits that a moss “lawn” isn’t the right thing for someone with children or dogs, but for an ornamental garden in a forest where high traffic isn’t required, moss makes a magnificent groundcover. I can’t wait to encourage some of my clients to adopt this outlook and quit fighting with grass that simply will never work in their spaces the way they want it to! Nori’s garden has been featured for the last 20 years in magazines, books and tv shows illustrating her great skills and beautiful spaces.

Sunday I awoke wondering if my sore throat was going to leave me without a voice. This wouldn’t be a good thing since I was scheduled to speak on garden coaching at the Maymont Show in the afternoon. I swallowed –ouch! My throat was still rough. I spoke, and something crackled out. Well, I’d be able to speak, but I still kept fairly quiet most of the day until lecture time.

We arrived at the Maymont show, which was a combination of garden show and home show, a couple of hours ahead of my talk. We wandered the show gardens, which frankly were disappointing after the spectacle of the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. We did a bit of shopping, but again, this was a disappointment. The gift vendors were outrageously overpriced – a coffee mug for $35! My old chipped favorites never cost that much!  The plant vendors didn’t offer anything spectacular, and the sales people didn’t even know much about many of the common plants they were selling. For goodness sakes if you’re going to see a Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera ‘Aurea’ know what it is! And, mixed in with all of this was a smattering of late night tv-esque sales of knife sets and vitamix machines. At least they had all of 12 green building booths to start building awareness. I suppose I’m spoiled by the spectacle in Seattle each year. Still, I kept my fragile voice to myself and listened to Richmond natives voice their disappointment in this year’s show. According to many old-timers, this was the worst show yet.

I did give my presentation to a very, very small audience. The woman who was in charge of speakers was very nice and very helpful. Still, the curtained-off, dark corner of the convention room floor in which they were presenting seminars was not inviting at all. It was loud and distracting. And, my lav-mic was barely audible. I got good feedback on the presentation from those who attended – including people who weren’t my family or family friends. And, I think I may have helped at least one person who was interested in making a career adjustment to add coaching to her offerings. So, the message made it to a new audience, however small. And, my voice held out! They even gave me a big box of cheese that has become the butt of many jokes and the focus of many meals over the past few days.

Monday I awoke to no sore throat and prematurely thought that my cold was gone. By mid-day it had found its way into my head and chest. Still, I did manage to take a tour through the woods and Rattlesnake creek, lead by my 5 year old niece. I snapped some photos of a gigantic vulture eating some poor rodent by the side of the road. Generally, I took it easy. And, yes, cheddar was on the dinner menu!

Today I visited a family friend’s garden to give her some help understanding her garden and what her gardener is doing wrong. Betty isn’t much of a gardener, but she likes a nice garden. Her gardener has hacked away and sprayed away at much of her forest under story garden. So, we walked and talked about how plants grow and react to the way they are being cut. We discussed that many of the things that bloom every other year are doing so because of when and how she is cutting them. We talked about some new plants she might try and places to move some she has that she dislikes in their current position. It was a nice chat, but after a horrible night of barely sleeping as the snot compounded in my head and chest, I didn’t last long. I begged off on her generous request that I “let her buy me lunch” and headed back home for some chicken soup and my sweat pants.

Now as I write this, snarfling away to avoid blowing my sore, chapped nose one more time, I am looking forward to the other gardening adventures that await me in these last few days of February. My mom toured me through her garden, which is just awakening for spring. I hope we find time to work together, raking up leaves and revealing more crocus and other bulbs she knows are starting to sprout. I know we will be going to the country in a few days to visit my great aunt Bea who will be celebrating every bright color in her garden despite her near blindness. I hope to find a day when we can tour a few of the grand gardens in the area, perhaps visiting Louis Ginter Botanical Gardens and enjoying a leisurely high tea as we gaze over the winter garden. My cousin will soon return from Arkansas. She was the person whose study of horticulture partially inspired my own return to school to enter this profession; needless-to-say, I love spending time with her and visiting her space. As well, later this week, I’ll be meeting new friends who have a spectacularly renovated home along a private pond nearby.  I will be consulting on renovations to their garden – with an eye toward developing a garden that will compliment their award-winning home remodel. And, one spot I can never miss when visiting Virginia, is Woodhaven.

Woodhaven is the home my great-grandparents built in the country and in which one of my cousins still resides. The home and the forest have seen better days. The barn has crumbled to the ground. The forest and grand oaks that lived for hundreds of years before the house was built were decimated by loggers who took advantage of my aging and ailing aunt in the 1980s. So, the chirping tree frogs and the giant trees will no longer be there to greet me, but the swing on the front porch and the train whistle in the distance and the scent of wild onion on the spring air will take me back to a time and a place held dear in my heart.

Soon enough it will be March, and once again I will be flying home to the west coast where my own garden with its own needs and delights await. I’m excited by the prospect of working in the multitude of Seattle gardens that my clients needs provide for me. Still, while I’m on this coast, I’ll drink in and cherish every moment. Perhaps these experiences will prove a healing elixir to my ailing body, sending me home relaxed, refreshed, inspired and renewed – much like Spring itself.

Through the end of January, The Arbor Day Foundation is offering Free Trees to new members. Depending on your location, you may be able to receive 5-10 Crepe Myrtles, Live Oaks, Red Buds, or other trees with your $10 membership donation. Ten dollars for 5-10 trees is amazing. And, your $10 goes to your membership with this great organization that helps replant forests, connect children with nature, plant city trees and much more.  Sign up here.

If you have no idea what to do with this many trees, consider making a donation without getting the trees. Or, better yet, make your donation, receive your trees and work with you community to plant them in a park or a neighbor’s garden that needs them. If you would like to take advantage of joining and adding trees to your garden but you don’t know where to begin, please contact me for help. Mention “Arbor Day Trees” in your post.

Over the last year I’ve noticed a significant number of Douglas Fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii) declining rapidly in my neighborhood. They are showing signs of apical dieback, which rapidly progresses from the tip of the tree downward. All of the trees that I am noticing are

1. On private property so I can’t easily access the roots, soil and trunk too look for more clues
2. Are in on a straight north - south line, between the same two neighborhood streets, running along about 4 blocks

Since I cannot gather complete information, I really cannot diagnose or ask any others to give a complete diagnosis of what is happening. However, I did poll a few very credibly arborists based on the information I know about the trees. Some of the thoughts that came back include:

• No complete diagnosis can be made with just photos and observation (of course!)
• 2001-2005 included the longest and driest drought in Western Washington recorded history. Trees can take years to use up their stored reserved. So, trees with a low survival margin are most suceptible to drought problems. And, trees stressed from drought and then exposed to prolonged rains are more suceptible to root infections.
  • These trees are living, I believe, in rapid draining sandy urban soils. And, at least one of them is surrounded closely by asphalt and houses.
• Root problems often show up first in the crown (tippy-top/apical growth) of a tree
  • Root rots often show up first in the crown of the tree
  • Construction can cause root problems from compaction and other damage.
    • At least two of these trees are near recent townhouse construction
• In areas east of here porcupines bite and strip bark from trees causing these sorts of declines.

So what can be done?

• One professional has found that correct applications of mulcing , mycorrhizae and other benefical materials has brought back over 400 trees exhibiting similar problems.
  • Please keep in mind that these 400+ trees were fully analyzed and diagnosed before treatment began. (Always fully diagnose before treatment, please!)  

If you have a Douglas Fir (or other tree) that is showing signs of decline, I suggest having them evaluated by a certified arborist as soon as possible. When trees begin showing signs of decline, they may be significantly compromised in their interior wood and/or in their root systems. Strong winds, ice, heavy rains, drought, snow, insect or other pest infestations, and a host of other factors can cause these trees to decline beyond saving. And, sometimes, it means they are a hazard.

If you would like help determining how to manage a tree issue of your own, please contact me for additional assistance.

In the meantime, I will continue to monitor the trees in my neighborhood. If an opportunity arises to speak with the property owners, I may be able to gather more information to help save the trees. It is very sad to watch these large beauties, which are infrequent in this neighborhood, die.