Cutting Trees

To cut a tree down? Or not?

Living in the woods eventually presents the conundrum of shade--shade (and all those tree roots) in the garden and a shady (i.e., dark) house. We come to the forest for the trees, yet living in the shade, we yearn for sun.

A neighbor is having logger cut down a swath of the pine plantation that a farmer planted in 1939. She recently had solar-voltaic panels installed, so the logging project began as a quest for more sunlight. Now, the logging truck has made 4 trips to the carry logs to the local sawmill.

But we love our trees. The ones in our yard nearly acquire personalities. I've been parking my car under a hemlock for 20 years. I call it my Hemlock Garage for the protection it provides from snow and from sun. Who needs a garage with 4 walls when you have hemlock boughs overhead? Soon this hemlock will be cut down to make way for a real garage.

Trees too are of the nature to die--sometimes not of natural causes. We privilege our own viewpoint and our own human needs.

And the tree says nothing.

Vegetables in the Flower Garden

A year ago, solar-voltaic panels were installed on the roof of our house. Since i live in the woods, the peak efficiency in July would be 70%. But if we cut down the red maple near the front door, we could increase the efficiency by 4%.

Thus began the semi-annual visits by the tree service, the decrease of nearby trees, and the increase of sun on the solar-voltaics on the roof and the flower beds on the ground. Partial shade has morphed into full sun.

Because my house was built into a bowl of a little hillside, the south side of the house is a warmer microclimate than elsewhere. It's the last place to get frost, whereas the vegetable garden is the first. Hmmm.

Sun + warmer microclimate = vegetable garden.
Maybe it's time to start growing vegetables in my patio garden?

This revolutionary idea would change the aesthetic of my landscape. It's really quite shocking.

Sometimes change drifts along so slowly, we barely notice it or simply find the slight change of scenery and circumstances pleasant. Then we come to a waterfall; this one feels like a Class II (out of 5), and that is exciting and scary enough.

I think i'll start by planting rainbow chard beside the pulmonaria.