If a tree dies, you don’t necessarily have to remove it from your garden. These gardeners incorporated the dead tree into their landscape.
The Japanese maple in the garden of Sally and Paul Tucker in South Buffalo was attacked by June bugs. “In one day it was down to sticks!” Sally said. Instead of removing the tree, the Tuckers left it in place and hung lanterns from it. “It’s cool looking,” she said. Photo by Connie Oswald StofkoYou have to look hard to notice the dead tree in the yard of Jerry and Marie Wysocki in Hamburg. A healthy willow blocks some of the bare branches and your eye is pulled to the colorful gourds that were made into birdhouses. (A sign on the dead tree says, “Birdhouse Collector.”) Marie is training a clematis to grow up the trunk and dead branches. “I hope it will be a clematis tree in a few years,” she said. Photo by Connie Oswald Stofko
2 Comments on “Dead tree? Make it part of your garden”
Carol, I loved watching our neighborhood Cooper’s hawks when they nested one house away from us, so I totally understand why you wouldn’t want to cut down a tree that gave you such a great view! Thanks for sharing that with us.
We have a very tall, very dead red pine in our backyard. Did think about taking it down but the branches, visible from our living room window, are a favorite perch for the local broad wing hawk. Have been lucky enough to watch him catch a mouse and a toad. If and when the tree does fall it won’t land on anything precious.
Carol, I loved watching our neighborhood Cooper’s hawks when they nested one house away from us, so I totally understand why you wouldn’t want to cut down a tree that gave you such a great view! Thanks for sharing that with us.
We have a very tall, very dead red pine in our backyard. Did think about taking it down but the branches, visible from our living room window, are a favorite perch for the local broad wing hawk. Have been lucky enough to watch him catch a mouse and a toad. If and when the tree does fall it won’t land on anything precious.