Mulberry Memories

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Mulberry Memories

Lesley takes a licking and keeps on ticking
On May 18th Gil and I went out for a bike ride. At the end of our street I had a really serious accident that sent me catapulting over my handlebars and landing 12 ft away on a concrete sidewalk. The result was a broken left arm and a bruised, displaced and extremely painful right clavicle. Thankfully I was wearing my helmet, which I always do, or I probably wouldn't be able to write this. All this to tell you that it has slowed me down a bit. The remaining staff stand at the ready to serve you and I will be back in the quick as soon as I can!! - Lesley

Tree of the Month
Mulberry • Morus alba

A memory shared my Mike Kaniok, a compassionate and caring financial planner with Edward Jones  • mike.kaniok@edwardjones.com

When I was a little kid, all the way up to about 13 years of age, we lived across the street from my grandparents' house. In their back yard was a large Mulberry tree.
 
I loved that tree. We spent all summer every year climbing that tree. We would eat mulberries until we were sick. My grandmother would place a large sheet under the tree and we would shake the branches so mulberries would fall and she could use them to bake us a pie.

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Ants and Trees

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Ants and Trees

Backyard Wisdom
By: Gilbert A Smith, ISA Certified Master Arborist

Like the parable of the mouse and the lion, teeny tiny Ants can protect mighty trees. The lowly worm gets all the credit for tilling the soil and feeding the trees but the ant does as much good for trees and what does it get?  Stepped on! Ants do all the wonderful worm jobs, they aerate the soil, they open up air pockets so the roots can breathe and water can reach them. They excavate 30,000 lbs of top soil in an acre of land every year which is roughly 10 times as fast as those worms. They eat insects and poop out nutrients that give the trees their vitamins. They even alter the soil PH making it more friendly for tree roots.

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Trees That We Remember

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Trees That We Remember

Mother Nature’s Moment
by: Lesley Bruce Smith, ISA certified arborist

As your arborist, you may remember me asking you if you have “any special concerns or things you want me to take note of” when we first reviewed your property together.  What I am really asking, or the question behind the question, is “Do you have a favorite tree? or “What are your stories with your trees?”  I often hear about an Arbor Day tree that was carted home by a small child, who is now grown and gone, and the tree stands as a living reminder of many good memories of family and loved ones. We have prepared many home landscapes for weddings that have used a tree as the altar or as a special photo opportunity for the bride and groom, or heard the story of a tree planted in someone’s memory.

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