When Nature Changes Your Garden

     Years ago when this Red Spruce was younger (and smaller), it had leaned.  We managed to straighten it and for a few years it was doing beautifully.  Last November during one of those gales (not even a hurricane), the poor spruce leaned again.

     This time the roots were exposed.  It could have been straightened either by staking (big stake) or by binding it to the oak tree behind it.  But I was not risking damaging the oak. So we decided it had to go.

In front of the spruce was a Bayberry (Myrica) we transferred from Andrew's Parent's cottage along the Bay of Fundy a few years ago.  It rooted in nicely and was doing really well.  I was not risking damaging that.   We moved it to another part of the garden and I'll cross my fingers and pamper it well.

On a nice quiet Saturday morning out came the power saw.  The bed around the tree holds my collection of mini hosta as well as some other perennials, so Andrew had to be careful where he stepped.  Yes he does know what he is doing.

 But, of course the tree had to get caught up in the tips of the branches of the Red Maple.

Maybe, just a little push??

Yes, that is all it took.  Down it came. 

There is really no joy when a tree comes down, other than it did not make any damage.

It just came short of the cactus bed.

Andrew decided to pull it out, wiggling it around the beds.  I was there cringing, 'don't rip anything out'.  Can't you just cut it up here?? No he pulled it out.  A branch or two brushed over the end of the mini host bed.  Some of those were very small and had heaved a bit over the winter (probably should have covered a few).  I guess I will have to wait a few weeks to see if they have made it.

The dynamics of the garden will change a bit, that hosta bed will get a bit more afternoon sun.  We will have to see how much as the season progresses.  It was a tall skinny spruce, not like the bushy ones at the corner.  If they went, then the shade garden would no longer be the shade garden.  We may replace the tree with another evergreen, but move it out a bit further.  We are not sure, we will have to think about it.  I know I want a native tree of some type, not some new cultivar.