Poor, Poor Cherry Tree Is Poor No More

She got pruned today. Our poor cherry tree got three to four feet "topped off." She now has a lovely sculptured look about her. Later she'll get injected around her base with fertilizer pellets, and then we wait. We wait for her to bloom beautiful double-petaled pink flowers.

Like most cherry trees in DC, she's an ornamental variety. I don't feel cheated that she doesn't bear fruit. I'm not much of a cherry-picker myself. Heck, the pink double-petals make quite a mess on their own. Typically the tree blooms for about a week, and then pink petals rain from the tree. The first day of "petal rain" carpets the sidewalks around the house with a good two to three inches of petals.

Of course all that former beauty becomes work. A job of constant sweeping, two to three times a day, takes its toll. And soon our poor, poor cherry tree doesn't seem quite so beautiful anymore.

But I remember the week of full bloom. And the beautiful pink light she cast in both my kitchen and bedroom.

I'm so glad we saved our tree from "removal." Because, you know, now cherry pink is my favorite color.

Waiting for the Arborist to Arrive...

It's raining out. I mean really raining out. And today, I get to go outside with the second arborist and either cross my arms or stand with arms akimbo depending on what s/he has to say. I have an umbrella, rain slicker and rain hat to shield me from the relentless rain. I wonder, what does the arborist have for these occasions?

2 Hours Later...

In the pouring rain, I discuss with our second arborist, Tony, the fate of our poor, poor cherry tree. As our clothes soak, Tony's story about our tree is strikingly similar to the first arborist's take on her distress. She's outgrown her space, and her growth is leading to her demise. We can keep her going for a few more years, with pruning, or we can just remove her.

I can't bear killing this tree right now. I love the pink she brings into the house in late April. This spring will be our 12th year together. Ahhh, this tree is breaking my heart! I know, we can plant another one, but it just won't be the same!

Tonight Kathleen and I will be responsible home owners and look over the proposals. We'll make a decision: prune or remove. Which one would you choose?