New landscaping!

Last night nature decided to rearrange things in DFW. I'm pretty sure we'll have to have our 30 year old tree removed next week :(

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/may2b.jpg

My poor irises and rose bush! This makes me want to cry! You can see my daughter's screen is off her window, too....let's *hope* that's from the storm! :confuse:

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/may2a.jpg

The neighbor behind us lost a few sections of fence. This is a new fence, too, I know who NOT to go to when we get one!

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/may2.jpg

Driving the carpool this morning, I saw a lot worse, though. We were lucky compared to a lot of our neighbors :(

Ouch! Hate it when that happens!!


A few years ago, we lost the top 1/3 of one of our front yard trees at this house. Just snapped right off in a storm. Poor tree looked so lopsided and weird after that...but we kept it. Now...a few years later when we move back in...the tree is huge and you can't even tell it happened.

I'd definitely recommend giving the tree a chance to come back if you really like it and it doesn't pose a risk of falling over entirely.

I'd love to keep it, it's the last one on our street that was planted when the houses were built. But, we read that this type of tree generally lives 30 years, so I think it really might be a danger if we do get another big storm.
Maybe we can have a "goodbye tree" block BBQ party!

The exciting part will be picking out a new tree to plant, though :)

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

I'd love to keep it, it's the last one on our street that was planted when the houses were built. But, we read that this type of tree generally lives 30 years, so I think it really might be a danger if we do get another big storm.
Maybe we can have a "goodbye tree" block BBQ party!

The exciting part will be picking out a new tree to plant, though :)

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Might be worth having a "tree doctor" take a look at it. Not sure what kind of expense that entails, though.

The block party sounds fun, though! If it's gotta come down, may as well have a party! :carouse:

Ha, I just noticed in that last picture, the pile of leaves I'm supposed to be bagging up by the trash bins is still a perfect pile. Now there's some luck for ya! lol

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Originally Posted by JLC

The block party sounds fun, though! If it's gotta come down, may as well have a party! :carouse:

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Haha, I agree! Most of our neighbors are original owners, so you can imagine how up in everyone's business everyone is around here. The geriatric set is anything but boring, I could tell some stories! :giggle:

sarah what kind of tree is it? If you do save it you will need a good trim job on it. it looks like some dead branches in the pic, but i cant really tell. I went to school for horticulture it's my love. though i dont do much in the field now i still enjoy doing it. You should get it trimmed every few years, the more little branches there is the weaker it can get.

It's some kind of maple tree. We had it trimmed a couple of years ago, but I didn't think they did a very good job of it at the time.
I think it's really suffered because we've been under drought conditions for a year now, with watering restrictions.

looks like a *acer rubrum* red maple, scarlet maple, swamp maple.. a tree that size with roots that deep should be fine thru a drought. They grow really fast. well if you take it down just think of all the sun light you'll let on the rest of your landscape. we just took my dads down the other week, it was over 35 feet tall, he lost sun in his pool at 4pm every day. so now he's happy, more sun in the pool..lol if you have a pic of a leave i cant tell you for possitive..

we used to have to indentify a tree by its leaf, then branch...:D

I like what you've done with the place...

I hate having to cut down old trees, theyre just so majestic and you really come to love them over time. But don't worry Sarah I'm sure your iris bed will be fine. And btw this mornings pics look a lot less gloomy than the one you put up in chat.

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Originally Posted by jar2476

we used to have to indentify a tree by its leaf, then branch...:D

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Here ya go! I can take pics of branches too, since they are all over my front lawn!

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/leaf.jpg

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Originally Posted by qiksilver

I like what you've done with the place...

I hate having to cut down old trees, theyre just so majestic and you really come to love them over time. But don't worry Sarah I'm sure your iris bed will be fine. And btw this mornings pics look a lot less gloomy than the one you put up in chat.

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Thanks! I love picking out plants and flowers to put in the garden, and I love all the colors when everything is blooming. I wonder if the irises will bloom again, since the storm stripped off all the flowers.

Yup, here's the one from last night, right after the worst of the winds...several reports of funnel clouds in the area, too.

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/yard.jpg

hahaha..ok give me a few minutes. and i'll let you know..

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

Here ya go! I can take pics of branches too, since they are all over my front lawn!

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/leaf.jpg

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ok sarah, i have it narrow down to two, so the branch might be needed. the two I came up with are*Acer griseum* Paperbark maple, and *Acer saccharinum* Sliver maple aka soft, white, or river malpe. Im leaning towards the sliver maple do to te leaf, both have very different branches though.

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

Here ya go! I can take pics of branches too, since they are all over my front lawn!

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/leaf.jpg

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Haha, this is so awesome! There are so many unique and diverse talents among the members here, no wonder there's rarely a dull moment! :D
Ok, here's a branch:

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/branch.jpg

If you go with a new tree PLEASE look into getting a Florida "Black Olive" tree. I had one in my yard and it was truely healthy and withstood tons of huricanes and tornados. Here is a link to look at: http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/Bucida.htm

ok, hahaha can you get a close up? if not then i would deff say sliver maple, cuz the other is more rough looking, and the sliver is more smooth...

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

Haha, this is so awesome! There are so many unique and diverse talents among the members here, no wonder there's rarely a dull moment! :D
Ok, here's a branch:

http://sarah.digeratihost.com/images/branch.jpg

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Originally Posted by AkivaSmith

If you go with a new tree PLEASE look into getting a Florida "Black Olive" tree. I had one in my yard and it was truely healthy and withstood tons of huricanes and tornados. Here is a link to look at: http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/Bucida.htm

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Ooooh, that is a very pretty tree, I like it!

Joe, my camera is really cruddy, I can't get a closeup that isn't blurry. I think you are right, though, as the bark is much smoother than most. Thanks for your help! So what do you think, should it stay or should it go?

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

So what do you think, should it stay or should it go?

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Hey! If you decide it can be kept...you should have a "Save the Tree" BBQ Block Party! :carrot: :D

honestly, if there isnt too much damage to it and you get someone to prune it, and repair(seal) the damage it could last along time. if there is any perament damage you will see some other branches start to die in the tree itself.

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

Ooooh, that is a very pretty tree, I like it!

Joe, my camera is really cruddy, I can't get a closeup that isn't blurry. I think you are right, though, as the bark is much smoother than most. Thanks for your help! So what do you think, should it stay or should it go?

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i know the feeling bout the camera..lol

if you get another tree and take that one watch out for things like this if you plant it near the old one. more of the uplifting concrete and staining. last thing you want to do is replace sidewalk, foundations, and driveways...
Bad Habits: Messy -- drops leaves, spent blooms and seed pods (which also stain sidewalks, cars or anything they drop on), roots uplift sidewalks and pavements.

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

Ooooh, that is a very pretty tree, I like it!

Joe, my camera is really cruddy, I can't get a closeup that isn't blurry. I think you are right, though, as the bark is much smoother than most. Thanks for your help! So what do you think, should it stay or should it go?

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Originally Posted by JLC

Hey! If you decide it can be kept...you should have a "Save the Tree" BBQ Block Party! :carrot: :D

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Haha, any excuse to BBQ is a good one, in my book :cow::hungry:

Joe....well, there were branches dying and falling off before this storm, it's just really been the catalyst for making this decision. Since many parts of it are strewn about the neighborhood, haha. I'm thinking maybe a nice dogwood. Do people put dogwoods on the front lawn?

yes they do! Where is plano at upper, middle, or lower texas? i can give you some better ideas if i know what zone your in

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

Haha, any excuse to BBQ is a good one, in my book :cow::hungry:

Joe....well, there were branches dying and falling off before this storm, it's just really been the catalyst for making this decision. Since many parts of it are strewn about the neighborhood, haha. I'm thinking maybe a nice dogwood. Do people put dogwoods on the front lawn?

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When I was on a tree site earlier, it said I am in Zone 8. Does that make sense to you? It's called North Texas, just north of Dallas :D
My neighbor has 2 dogwoods in her backyard, they are so pretty when they bloom!

yup, makes sense. if you want i'll come up with some nice alternatives for ya. it's up to you..:) . I'll just need some time to do so..:D

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

When I was on a tree site earlier, it said I am in Zone 8. Does that make sense to you? It's called North Texas, just north of Dallas :D
My neighbor has 2 dogwoods in her backyard, they are so pretty when they bloom!

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Thanks, Joe, you are a doll!
Just talked to my lawn guy, he's coming to clean up the mess tomorrow, so I will talk to him about the fate of our maple, then we'll go from there :)