Monday, May 28, 2012

sunset series

 This evening we went down to the beach after work to get some fresh air.  It was just us and the plovers.

 (the forever botanist I am still trying to figure out what this is)


Sunday, May 20, 2012

home again

Planted the biggest trees of my life, surfed while the sun set, and came home to a porch, all our own, and we sat and sighed and realized we did it.  Operation: Escape NYC, etched in the sand four months ago. Complete.

months and months of photos and adventure coming your way soon.  We've moved.  Life has changed. All for the better. Talk about adventure.

Best,
arborboy

Friday, May 18, 2012

beautiful branching...

This is a Styrax, a Japanese Snowbell, that was dug at the local tree farm and put on sale.  Full of buds this tree will soon be covered in tons of hanging little white flowers.  I really love the beautiful branching of this specimen, which will undoubtedly be a site to see in any season.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

35

 A beautiful day off to celebrate the coming of another year.  The work car never looked so good!  The last number of months has been a lot of work to get this new life started but we are figuring it out.  And when the days are done we are only ever a few minutes from a walk on the beach to keep it all in perspective.  Thirty-five is going to be a good year.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Tree of the Week: weeping European Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula')

At The Bayberry nursery in Amagansett, NY they have a wonderful collection of trees throughout the 12-acre parcel.  Near the garden shop are a number of massive weeping European Beech trees.  Certainly this is one of my all-time favorite trees.  European Beeches (Fagus sylvatica) are magnificent specimen trees in their own right, but the weeping form (Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula') is so stunning, and you never see two that are the same.  As you can see I am standing beneath it as it is just beginning to leaf out for the season.  Eventually it's leaves will create a canopy of deep shade making the interior space near the trunk like a secret wooded room.  At the Bayberry they prune the limbs up so guests can walk underneath them, but left alone in the landscape they create this wonderful organic fountain of lustrous green foliage that goes to the ground.  Beeches have long slender, sharp-pointed buds that make them easy to identify in winter, not to mention their smooth gray bark that can look "elephantine" as they mature.  Hardy in Zones 4-7, they are a slow to medium grower and can eventually get over 40' tall.

Friday, May 11, 2012

We are closed! (or, rather, open?!)

 We did it, we closed on a house!  It took months of back and forth, mountains of paperwork, and endless emails and phone calls.  But waking this morning and looking at this great little house and yard, thinking about how it will become a perfect first home, the bliss trumps all.  Of course it didn't hurt that the Wisteria growing on the front porch was in full bloom and smelling amazing.  Talk about welcome home! 

Sunday, May 6, 2012

day off stroll

 A crooked yet beautiful Gardiners Bay on a perfect day off stroll with my love.