Bad (to get that out of the way) because apparently one of our rent houses suffered hail damage in the last storm, and now has a leak from the roof, down the walls, and into the master bedroom ceiling on the first floor. I don't EVEN want to think about that yet, because we're still waiting to hear whether the insurance company will cover it before we can get a contractor on it.
But good because, of course, we have a lot of landscaping that was getting pretty desperate for rain, not to mention all the trees. The hubs got took pictures this weekend of the Palo Verde my father-in-law brought us back in March of '09. They're desert trees, but with a regular water, they grow pretty fast. Lots of teeny thorns--you want to be careful when pruning these puppies, but beautiful little yellow flowers in spring, and fine lacy foliage all summer long. The best part is that "Palo Verde" means Green Skin, as you can see by the trunk--it's green all the way to the ground!
(Pay no attention to how I'm dressed in either picture...I live in my "play clothes" pretty much all year.)
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| A chilly morning in March of '09... |
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| Not sure what the face is about...probably laughing because Gabe was yelling "You're killing it!" as I pruned. But a good gardener knows that the planting-pruning will help a little tree get off to a good start. (Cruel to be kind?) |
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| Now it's not such a little tree, but it will likely get another five to ten feet taller, with mild winters and steady water. It's leaning out away from the trees behind it...ideally it should be out in full sun all day--they thrive in Arizona in 115 degree summers. |
Jan, without a doubt, after this summer's drought, no Texan will be complaining about rain. Thankfully, the little Palo Verde got what it needed, and hopefully the roof repair will go well. We are delighted to be getting more rain here in the Ozarks tonight!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit to my blog. I will be careful from now on with the "undignified pictures!"
I bet you are all happy to see rain (even with the pain in the neck rental problem). What an interesting little tree. I've never heard of it, but I am sure it is happy for all the tender (snip snip) loving care you are giving it. :) xox
ReplyDeleteIt is a great little tree. My father-in-law has one with a trunk about 8" across--huge for this type of tree. And the trunk is still green as can be.
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