Nature Note:Overhang

One of the Asian pear trees is growing over the garage roof.I've been considering having it cut back-or even cut down.The wood isn't especially heavy,yet could still do some damage to the roof and shingles in severe weather.On the other hand,it certainly shades the home in summer,keeping cooling costs down.I have pruned this tree for a number of years,but it has resisted my efforts,finally overwhelming them.It has been a nest tree for robins and northern cardinals,and possibly many others.Cedar waxwings and others have eaten its small fruit in winter.A spruce or fir would be a possible replacement.

Nature Note:What Falls in Spring

Leaves fall in autumn,but in spring other things fall.Following pollination,petals from tree flowers fall,and maple keys fall from silver maples.Asian pear petals have been coming down like snow,but the maple keys,which contain the silver maple seed,are still bundled up in the trees.When they fall,many of them will sprout.They have to be one of the most prolific sprouters in the natural world.Here they grow into a northern riverine forest along with slippery elms.

Nature Note:After the Ice

An ice storm badly damaged an Asian pear tree,ripping a large chunk of it off.I'll be cleaning that up the rest of the winter.There's no rush.I got it off the neighbor's property,so I can work at it a bit at a time.It's too cold to work for any length of time, when it isn't a necessity.To me,it's just another aspect of nature.I'm taking the debris in stride.It could have been a lot more costly.Someone could have been walking underneath the tree when it split.

Nature Note:Serious Cold

The frost was thick on the Asian pear leaves I raked this morning.It was 21 degrees Fahrenheit,or -6.11 degrees Celsius.The first serious cold of the season hastened everyone.I didn't want to stand on the ground for long,even though I had my wool socks on.I needed to get back on the asphalt driveway or the concrete garage floor,so I worked fast.The sun came up red,but there was no hint of its fire on the frigid land.

Nature Note:Last Leaf Color

The Asian pear leaves are shades of red and orange now.Some are even green,hanging on to summer while it is nearing winter.The trees put out little fruits that are mostly seed.Many birds eat them,including American robins and cedar waxwings.In spring and summer,perching birds will also nest in these trees.They are wildlife trees year-round,although they have flaws such as limbs which split off easily and a strong odor during flowering.When I have them nearby,I tend to forget about the problems,and appreciate their good points instead.

Nature Note:Asian Pear Thinned

I have finished thinning out my largest Asian pear.I spent four mornings on it.The process could go on,but there are other trees that require attention.One of the big trees limbs was nearly touching the house,and I was able to pull it off when my pole pruner got stuck.The garage roof over which this limb extended wasn't damaged at all,which is a miracle,since both the pruner and limb struck the roof when the limb came off.It was an exacting bit of work,but I can forget about it for at least another year.

Nature Note:Cool Cut

It was amazingly cool this morning.At 6AM,it was 55F-or about 12.6 C.Sitting on the deck yesterday,I watched the cold front blow in.The clouds were being pushed by a northwest wind.All summer has been like this.I can't remember having so many cool breaks in the Mid-Atlantic region.When I thinned my Asian pear tree out this morning,I didn't sweat at all.It might as well have been September.There is no sign of global warming in the region this summer.