Have you read Nancy's blog?I drove to work Friday morning with the wind blowing so hard that I truly was a bit scared. Yes, many years ago a tree had fallen on a car I was in, but on the hood and windshield, missing the passengers in the front seat by one split second. As I cruised through Northford center, I started to breathe a little easier. I dodged the bullet. Or so I thought. Traffic stopped. I waited. Something's up on Rt. 22 I thought. I finally arrived at work and one of my employees walked up to me, eyes VERY BIG. Turns out one half of the giant old maple tree in our shade garden blew down across Rt. 22 and into the overflow parking area along the road. She heard it and saw it. It missed demolishing a car by a hair. Scary stuff. Closed the road. Then someone from the paving company next door brought up a giant machine and pushed it off the road for us. The tree took out a barrel of flowers, a few plants, and a scarecrow. Luckily, no one was hurt and no one was parked where we usually park all the staff cars. The wind continued to howl, the rain started coming down heavy, and I called the state of CT as it was on their property. I left a message with public works, thinking that it would take days, weeks even, to clear this and it would impact our big Bulbs for Breast Cancer event on Saturday. Within an hour, the crew arrived, chainsaws in hand! I asked the men if they could try and be careful of the beautiful 'Diana' red witch hazel I had planted next to the tree 4 years earlier to take its place when the tree finally died. After they left, I couldn't believe my eyes. There was the tree, completely intact, no worse for wear. It sprung right back up! Now we have to get the other half of the tree removed as it an accident waiting to happen. Then the shade garden will be missing half of its shade. It may take a while for the witch hazel to provide the shade we need. An opportunity for creativity. I just may have to renovate that garden to accommodate the changing conditions. That's life in the garden.
Does this witch hazel bloom in late winter? It'll look great, I'll bet.
ReplyDeleteYes, this witch hazel blooms in late February and March and it is magnificent, especially when there is snow on the ground. We have huge yellow one ('Arnold's Promise') in front of the shop. It's just not big enough yet to cast the shade I need!
ReplyDeleteWow, that would be scary! It must look so strange with half the maple gone! :-(
ReplyDeleteI'm glad no one was hurt and little was damaged. Good thing you planted that witch hazel there. You may have to get creative out there with umbrellas and tents for the next few years, though... ;-D