Throughout my lifetime, several trees have been planted to honor occasions. I watched a birch tree grow tall just outside my childhood bedroom window and I grew with it. My wife and I decided many years ago to buy a live Christmas Tree and then plant it in the yard. What was to be an annual tradition only turned into a year before we moved, while I remember naming it “Fat Albert.” My sister and I planted trees for our parents in an Elkhart park back in 2006. The Gingko is still apparently growing, with a time capsule buried underneath. Yesterday, we ordered a red crepe myrtle for our front yard for my wife’s birthday, and this morning I spent several hours removing the bush where it will be planted.

Fortunately, my neighbor had made a big deal out of removing a similar bush in his yard. It was a major ordeal involving careful digging around water and irrigation lines, removing a metal cage that protected its roots, and ultimately pulling it out with chains hooked to a pick up truck. I was expecting the worst, thanks to him, but instead it came out rather easily. I had to relocate a few plants, disconnect an outdoor flood light, and navigate around a water pipe in addition to my sprinkler system lines. I will probably need some help lifting it out of the hole once the new tree arrives, but it was not nearly the hassle I was expecting – at least so far!

I do anticipate some sore muscles tomorrow and my chiropractor appointment will probably require more adjustments than usual. However, this major project seems to be well under control despite worries about disrupting driveway pavers and alerting the HOA with a cracked water line. I probably should have gotten their permission in the first place, but it’s sometimes more fun to be a neighborhood rebel.
My wife is pleased with having palm trees in our yard for the first time in our lives. We thought about adding another but ultimately decided on the red crepe myrtle to add some more color and coordinate with our red fountain and urns. It helps our home to stand out a little bit in a neighborhood of similar construction styles.

We have not done holiday tree decorating for many years now, as we were never able to compete with my wife’s sister who always insisted on celebrating the holidays at her house. We grew content with visiting Rockefeller Center every year to get our holiday fix or going to local celebrations where we lived like the Grotto in Portland. Last year, we went to Disney World on Christmas Day, and enjoyed the colorfully lighted palms that line our downtown Venice streets every December. This year we’ll put a spotlight on the red crepe myrtle, along with the palm trees, and not just for the holidays.