I finally got the old oak in Mrs. Henderson's yard to bud after a rough winter

She's lived in that house in Cedar Rapids for 50 years and was convinced the tree was done for. When I showed her the first tiny green leaves last week, she just put her hand on the trunk and said, 'You gave me back an old friend.' It was a simple crown clean and some proper mulch, nothing fancy. Anyone else have a client who gets that attached to a specific tree?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_riley1mo ago

Oh man, that reminds me of a huge old lilac bush I saved for a guy last spring. He said his wife had planted it when they first moved in, and she had passed away the year before. Seeing it bloom again made him tear up a little. It's wild how a plant can hold so much memory.

west.anna1mo ago

Wow, that story really got me. It's so true. Plants become these quiet keepers of our whole lives. You don't even realize it until a bloom or a scent brings a memory rushing back. That lilac was his wife saying hello. It's powerful stuff.

patriciap521mo ago

Isn't it crazy how a tree can feel like family? @the_riley, that lilac story got me thinking about my neighbor's weeping willow that got hit by lightning. He was more upset about that than when his car got totaled.