Chestnut Tree

We are participating in an effort to bring back the American Chestnut tree from its virtual extinction 75 years ago from Chestnut Blight. We picked up a sapling from a park worker in Prospect Park that had been grown from a seed from a tree in Greenwood Cemetery, where they are experimenting with blight-resistant strains.

New Tree

An infestation of whiteflies at the mid to end of summer '24 killed the 12' holly bush and I had to remove it. We were not unhappy to see it go. After some research we chose a 'hearts of gold' Eastern Redbud tree to replace it with. It's been beautiful to see its transformation as it's grown over the first 6 months.

Growing Flax

 Last spring I planted some Blue Flax (Linum perenne) to cover the ground around the new tree. I wanted something native and pollinator friendly that would provide flowers with a nice color contrast to the many yellow and white flowers we have. We won't get the flowers this season, though, but it's a perennial so next year I look forward to many small blue flowers in early summer.

Wild Bees

I've enjoyed the wild bees this summer. One of the highlights of the summer was coming upon a nectar and pollen feast these black bees were having in a gentle winding ravine behind the Las Madres Pueblo on my dad's property. 

Backyard Inspiration

We have a small—18' x 19'—backyard that was shaded by a large maple until a year and a half ago when it had to come down due to a fungal condition. The yard was hard to do much with because of the shade but now with the increased sunlight we've been able to experiment more with gardening and other decorative planting. Last summer I discovered that grass takes way too much watering to maintain so I've been waiting for inspiration to strike to find an alternative.