How to measure a tree

I recently finished reading a book called The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession, by Amy Stewart. It contains portraits of people obsessed with trees in one way or another. My only complaint is some of these collectors are importing trees from other parts of the world without a concern that they may be introducing an invasive species into their own habitat; one has even planted Russian olive! It's a pleasant read, if you are so inclined.

One section discussed "champion" trees - the really, really, REALLY BIG ones. Points are awarded for girth, height, and crown spread. My trees are definitely not champions, but an annual measurement would give me a more objective idea of how they are growing (besides eyeballing each one and thinking, Yep, it's bigger this year).

Rather than repeat what the books says, here are some lousy photos of the relevent information:

My trees are mostly naked right now, so I'll wait until next summer to measure them. Hopefully, that will become an annual occurance.

One holiday down

Originally, the people who built houses in my neighborhood raised families in them, so there were a lot of kids. Now these houses are considered "starter" homes or, in my case, "ender" homes. There are still a few families with children of trick-or-treater age, but not many. About 20 visited me the other night, accompanied by just as many adults, most of whom were also dressed up. It was festive but very low key.

Tonight we are getting a little rain. We have had a hard enough frost to nip some of the coleus on the front porch. Most of the winterberry bushes are *loaded* with fruit, while the flowering crabs and hawthorn tree sport their share as well.

I admit that I lose interest in the yard this time of year. I'm ready to hunker down for winter... if it ever arrives.

Not much happening

Our weather continues to be... odd. When I wake up in the morning, the lawns and rooftops look a bit frosty, but the sun continues to shine. Later this week, the predicted highs are in the 70's, 79 degrees for Wednesday. This is just wrong.

Today I cleared the spider webs from the front porch in anticipation of the Trick or Treaters that will be stopping by on Thursday. For the most part, the spiders were dead or gone. This odd thing is attached to the light fixture. I think it is a mud dauber nest.

The new car is purchased, so I can stop fretting about that. What an ordeal! I hope this is the last vehicle I ever have to purchase.

The grass is still growing, and the leaves are falling, so I'm still mowing. And so it goes.

Frosty

This past week we had several light frosts that have touched the more tender plants, but they were not what I consider killing frosts. Don't tell Mother Nature, though, as she is continuing with her plan to follow the frosts with what we used to call "Indian summer". The forecast is for warmish, dry weather in the foreseeable future.

Two of the ninebark shrubs that were planted in 2023 didn't take hold, so the landscape guy replaced them... with something different? I didn't notice the difference until the shrubs began to turn color this fall - the two replacements are not like the original one. Maybe as they mature, they will look more alike? I don't mind that they don't match, but I like to know what I have.

Original ninebark

Replacement ninebark

A while back, I posted about sticking nonskid strips to the garden shed ramp. As a follow-up, I want to report that the narrow gray strips are not adhering very well. If you are considering nonskid strips, take heed.

This past week, I've been involved with purchasing a new car. For some reason, I find it to be incredibly stressful. I'd rather have a root canal. Or three.

A patch of no-mow lawn

Even though I have been having my lawn treated the past several years, I asked them to skip the side yards. The area on the south side of the house is now almost completely no-mow, thanks to clover and creeping charlie. Most consider creeping charlie to be an invasive weed and it can choke out other plants (like turf grass), but I think I will let it go for now, to see how it holds up over time.

Would it make sense to let the whole yard become creeping charlie? Probably not feasible, as CC likes some shade and most of my lawn receives a lot of sun. While the experiment on the south side of the house continues, I'll meditate on that idea.

I don't know why this bird is called a red-bellied woodpecker; the red patch is on the back of its head. I'm glad to see it visiting, though.

I'm still mowing grass but only a few leaves. On this morning's dogwalk I noticed some of the neighborhood maples are *finally* turning. The temps are cooler and yesterday we received a surprise but short-lived downpour. Otherwise, the forecast is for more dry days, although we *might* get some frost come Wednesday. I'll believe it when I see (or feel) it.

Still not safe for elms

Ever since I planted a Triumph Elm (Ulmus 'Morton Glossy') in my backyard in 2016, I have been a fan. It's a gorgeous shade tree that grows relatively quickly and is resistant to the evil Dutch elm disease. Alas, that does not mean it is impervious to other ills.

According to a recent article in the Purdue University Landscape Report, the elm zigzag sawfly (EZS), Aproceros leucopoda, a non-native insect, has recently been detected in several midwestern states, although not Indiana (yet). Initially, the EZS larvae chew zigzag patterns into elm leaves, thus the common name of the insect; however, as it grows larger, it skeletonizes the leaves. While most trees will survive defoliation, years of feeding by EZS will weaken a tree and increase its susceptibility to other pests and disease.

If you suspect this pest is on your tree, at least in Indiana, please contact the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab for identification. There is still much to learn about EZS.

As if that were not enough, there has also been an uptick in reports of black spot of elm. It favors cool, wet conditions, so maybe our recent hot dry weather will discourage it.

On a happier note, the asters and goldenrod are not discouraged this year. Both are covered in pollinators of various sizes and types. I'm always happy to see that.

Halloween is coming. I'm not big on holiday decorations, but a few lights here, a seasonal flamingo there, is right up my alley.

Previously, our first frost date was October 6. That came and went with temps in the 70's. Today it is cooler, but still no frost in the forecast. I am SO done with summer. Bring on the hot cider!

A walk in the woods

My SO and I took a little hike in the Lindenwood Nature Preserve this past week. I'm always on the lookout for unusual fungi. Most of what we saw we had seen before, but not this blue sample. I haven't been able to identify it. Any guesses?

We also saw some fruit here and there. This is white banebarry, a.k.a. doll's eyes.

Something unusual was this beehive in the ground. (If you look closely at the photo, you can see some honeycomb in the wall of the hole.) We were puzzled about the hole, but then noticed some honeycomb scattered around it, as though something (raccoon?) had tried digging up the hive.

Closer to home, the Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' goldenrod is peaking while its taller cousin on the other side of the house is past its prime.

I attended a harvest festival yesterday and could not resist this flamingo bird house made from a gourd. It will winter inside.

We have been having some rainy days plus lower temperatures, so it *almost* feels like fall. The lawn is happier, as am I, the master waterer.