Celebrating the 4th of July and Certified Arborists and Mourning the Loss of "Butch the Wonder Linden"

Wishing everyone a Happy July 4th!

And sharing with you the dramatic events of 6/30/09...

Longtime fellow garden bloggers will remember the 50-foot European Linden, to the left of GardenAuthor's humble abode. After 25 years of providing shade, it was time for this tree to be "put down." Dreading it toppling onto the neighbor's house during a storm, sick of the constantly dropping branches and twigs, tired of the sooty mold (from annual aphid infestations) dripping all over patio furniture and porch windows and worried about the branches rubbing across my new roof shingles in every breeze, the decision had to be made.

It had been professionally pruned twice in the past (by the same arborists) and, pole pruner in hand, I had done everything humanly possible to keep it away from the wires and porch roof.
The above photo, from last fall, also shows the unkempt appearance of my Kwanzan cherry, "Miss Kwanzan" (several seasonal odes to her appear at my "Waltzes with Words" blog), clearly in need of a "haircut"... now beyond the reach of my pole pruner. And then there's that tree lilac (Syringa reticulata), quite literally leaning on my neighbor's house... time for help!

"Who ya gonna call?" (No, not "Tree Busters!") Certified Arborists!

So, enter the professionals...

Now, that's what I'd call a pole pruner!

Here, on the North Shore, the vehicles and crews of
Mayer Tree Service have become a familiar sight,
as folks deal with trees that are troubled with insects,
disease, or perhaps in need of pruning or removal.

And so, the deconstruction begins.

Fed into the grinder...

which spews it into the truck.

The street-facing trunk is nearly limbed.

Time out for a glimpse of the Kwanzan cherry this spring.

More evidence that Miss Kwanzan has lost her
neatly coiffed look ~ getting positively shaggy!

Here she is, with a lot off the top and "a little off the sides"...

Later in the day, she's definitely looking more refined,
as she anchors the front bed and provides a bit of privacy.

Here's that spectacular tree lilac,
which I never had time to post this spring...

However, on this overcast day, with the blooms fading fast,
it was time for a "day of beauty." My wayward Syringa
was leaning up against my very patient neighbor's house
(they never montioned it, so I decided to be proactive)
~ time for action!

Judicious pruning brought it back to the property line,
and manageability once again.

Meanwhile, back at the linden...

Here, some of the big wood is coming down.
Look closely, you'll see a log in mid-air.

Another action-shot with falling log.

Getting pretty bright up there, even if it is overcast!

GOING...
(yes, that's a falling branch in mid-air, by the roof peak)

GOING...

GONE!

Down to the double trunks!

Just a little more work from the bucket...

Almost time for the ground crew to take over.

While I want to celebrate the end of so many linden-caused
problems, somehow I feel like I'm at a wake...
all that beautiful wood... the welcome shade,
the shelter for birds, but now.......

"Tree-in-a-box" is all that occurs to me.

Final Cut!

Final chunk headed for the shredder.

Yes, I requested a "souveneir" piece, last minute.
I enjoy wood carving, so maybe the linden will live
on as a nicnac (Ignoble ending for so noble a tree?
Maybe, but it's the best I can do.).

Like I said, tree-in-a-box!

But, what a box!
(Yes, this was taken early in the take-down.)
Since I was a child, I've had a fascination with
great looking trucks, and these are gorgeous!

My thanks to the hard working, considerate and
courteous crew of Mayer Tree Service, for their
expert handling of all the tasks at hand!

Now, maybe this one-sided Atlas Cedar will thrive,
along with the sunlight-starved weeping cherry,
without the competition of "Butch."

Are Lucy and I holding a graveside service for
"Butch, the Wonder Linden?"

Actually, there's a story here ~ This little hand-etched
headstone (obviously someone's long-forgotten pup was
buried on this property) was discovered in this yard,
by my dad, back in the forties and has been kicking
around ever since. A few years ago, I decided to prop it
up against the linden... it became hidden by a ground
cover of perennial geraniums and forgotten ~ until
yesterday, when it was discovered by the crew, just
before they wrecked their chainsaw on it.
Word to the wise - when you think you're all ready for
the tree crew, check again!

And if you think you can safely handle all your own
tree work, think again! Safety first! Call a professional -
a company like Mayer Tree Service,
Massachusetts Certified Arborists.

And life goes on! Lucy's not exactly dancing on Butch's grave,
merely finding another use for Butch's remains. Evidently,
this is the new observation deck for monitoring backyard
wildlife... she's now rededicated her hunting endeavors,
with the sudden influx of chipmunk activity at the summer bird
feeding stations... more of a challenge to her finely honed skills.

I guess I really didn't need a big tub of flowers, after all.
This is one variety of Patient Lucy that will thrive in
our newly sunny yard... if and when the sun makes a
guest appearance, one of these days!

We said our goodbyes on Sunday night,
looking up into the old Linden, one last time.

OK ~ This has nothing to do with anything... except, I just
wanted to show off my 5 new cedar window boxes
(there's one on the further end, too) and how well the
flowers are doing, despite a very late start and the
mostly cold, rainy miserable June we had...
which continues even now!

Wishing all my fellow bloggers, casual readers and
new visitors a wonderful weekend, as we celebrate
our nation's birthday...

Happy Fourth of July!

All Text & Photos ©Deb Lambert 2009