Sweet Gum Saga Finale

The sweet gum tree, which suffered a big loss last Friday, came down this morning. It was time for it to go.
I am amazed by how quickly the tree company workers were able to remove it in it's entirety.





I think the back of the house looks naked...and the family room (just inside of the patio doors it a lot brighter and warmer now).


Probably will need to move a few of these plants which prefer shade. Their getting full morning sun now and a bit in the evening, too.

Sweet Gum Saga

Remember this spring when I posted about how my backyard sweet gum's days were numbered? About how I despised those little balls it produces? About how I thought it might be time to cut it down?

This weekend I got my wish...but not exactly on my terms...

Friday night there were storms with wind gusts up to 50 mph. My sweet gum lost a substantial limb.





This limb is easily 50+ feet and that hole on the side of the tree is at least 4 feet tall. The limbs reach higher than my house, too.

I'm getting estimates on having the tree removed.

Vegetable Garden Pics -- June 2009

Holy mole-y, the garden is growing like crazy!


With all of the rain, things have been growing very fast. This picture includes a ton of marigold (which have since been thinned), onions, bell peppers, 4 basil plants (some of which has since been used for some delicious pesto), rosemary, cucumbers, green beans, and lots of mixed lettuce/spinach (some of which has been used for salads and sammy toppings).







And here are the tomatoes. The 'better boy' already has 5 or 6 green tom-toms. I can't wait!

This, compared to less than a month ago, is just amazing!

New (to me) herbs!

Just confirmed what a couple of perennial herbs in the herb garden are!

This is winter savory.
I'm told it's good in green beans.









This is oregano. I have a lot of it and am willing to divide.
I'm told it's better dried than fresh.











This I still don't know what it is. It's an herb -- I know it looks like bee balm, but it's not...