Elegance of the Trees

Japanese Maple

 

 

 

 The Japanese Maple, ( Acer palmatum ) is a ornamental tree that gives the landscape a touch of elegance. Bloodgood or Moonfire are two popular varieties that were sold to consumers a few years back with abundance. It gives a great burgundy color or reddish purple foliage that is a terrific eye catcher amongst the other green foliage. This specimen in the picture is still a immature one only in the ground for 3 years. But the tree will grow to 20 feet high and 12 feet wide. Will do better in partial shade and you should keep a ring of mulch around it if planted in the turf area." Keep All Mowing and Weed Whacking equipment away from the main leader as well as lower limbs." I say. Many of the older species struggle to find new growth and will lose there capacity to grow vigorous colored leafs and or suffer from blight and decay. Some occasional pruning is required to remove crossing branches. Also the tree needs several years of good watering or there will be wilting and drooping of leafs during drought. 

Green Japanese Maple

 Sango Kaku is a Green Japanese maple that will do better in hotter locations. Although you do not get the reddish foliage, the fall color is better then the Bloodgood. This specimen is planted in almost full sun and still needs plenty of water to keep the plant healthy and vigorous. Adding organic material every so often also helps, as long as you do not get higher then the flare of the tree at the base you will be alright. Often times we remove old organic material and add new to help water retention and and good continued root growth. We added Healthy Start when we planted it and will take a look at tree planting and maintenance procedures in another future post.

The latest debacle over the trash fee had me thinking the other day of the issue from the start. First let me be clear, I support a trash fee and do not think it should be included in our regular property taxes. The control board instituted a $90.00 dollar a year trash fee and I thought that was reasonable.And compared to other communities I also thought it was a bargain. $90 dollars a year for some one to come to my house and pick up all my trash, yard waste and recycles, what a bargain. . Then Mayor Sarno ran for Mayor against Incumbent Charlie Ryan with the theme of dumping the trash fee. And don't you know he wins. Yet after being in office a while he reverses course and with a letter of support written by me to the editor of the paper I supported him. Then a while back they had and I mean they the politicians had a big fight and the trash fee was brought back into the fold. Well when everything was said and done the fee was lowered. Great! I thought. But now the talk of another increase over the course of a couple of years did not even get me rattled like it did the rest of the citizenry. Everybody got into another big uproar over the trash fee and I just think we do a lot better with it now that we have full size recycling containers. And I never hear anyone bring up what other communities our size are doing.  There was also talk of a smaller trash container and that the big ones were outdated. That is definitely crap and everyone knows it. So sharpen your pencil Al Chawlick. If anything, Stop coming every week,with the two containers I do not need my trash dumped every week. And that brings me back to my original idea, put a reader on my trash containers and one on the truck then charge me every time you dump it. Just like my speed pass on the toll booths. A true user fee. Then may-be more people would recycle if they knew the trash was going to cost them more then the recycling. As a matter of fact, if a property is not recycling their fee should be higher then the rest of ours. And finally, if the city needs more revenue just look at every business that is littering the landscape with banners,signs,postings, balloons and frivolous advertising and charge them a fee if we already do not. And if we do, charge them more. Next time you drive around take a look and see. you'll know what I mean when you go by C.V.S. Wal Greens, or Any corner gas station quicky Mart.

Crab grass is germinating big time. So if you did not get Step 1 down it may be to late. My sources tell me Italian lemon ice will be ready this week end at Albanos Market.

That all for now, happy summer. Ariverdarchi , Eddie Pags, C.G.M.