The Bradford Pear

Recently we decided to remove the large Bradford Pear from our front yard.  It was our shade and also the back drop for all the first-day-of-school pictures. We watched that tree grow along with our son and it will be interesting to see that photo this September without it.  Our other dilemma will be how to show the year.  How do you hold up eleven fingers?  How did he get so big so fast?

First Day of School Grade 7

  It was the main feature in the garden, but it was very unstable and too close to the house. We had it cabled for support several times, but its huge branches snapped off in storms.  It was the last tree to drop its leaves.  It knew when it was Thanksgiving weekend and filled our yard and gutters like clock work.  In the Spring it's white flowers fell and covered the walkway and floated into the house with the wind or on the bottoms of shoes.  Its tiny berries stuck like cement to our vehicles.

So, it wasn't our favorite tree, but we also had a very hard time deciding to remove it.
   I was able to find these images of it and the shady garden it protected.

Rhododendrons Protected by the Pear Tree's Shade 

Rhododendrens in Bloom

Buddha in the Shade of the Pear Tree

 We feared for damage to our home.  After many years of back and forth, we knew it had to come down.  This is about half way through the removal.  If you look closely you can see the cabled workman and his chain saw near the top of the tree.  You can also see how close it was to the roof.

We're in the process of making some big landscape changes, but right now my yard looks like a war zone.  My lamp post also had a mishap.  It was knocked over by a falling tree branch and the support pole snapped off.  Then we discovered that there was no power when we reassembled it.
The stump grinder had ground the electrical wire supplying the lamp post.
Do your projects always get complicated?

 My rhododendrons are cooking in the sun and the leaves on my hostas are curling up and drying.  We're not sure if the rhodies will survive a transplant but we'll give it a try.  I know I can relocate and save the hostas.   I'll be updating the landscaping when it's done.  We don't want to start until it cools down a bit.  It will be a big change from a shady space to full sun.