When we moved to our rented house in California, one reason we liked it was this tree. It’s not in our yard, but it provided shade and beauty. It had been trimmed to avoid the utility wires in the past, but most of the tree was intact. The landlord, however, didn’t like the needles falling into the gutters. They own our house and the lot which has the tree. Rather than pay for gutter cleaning, they recently butchered the tree. We now have no shade in back yard (and never had any in the front yard). See the before and after below. It really makes me sad. If we ever buy a home here (and that’s a huge if, given the prices of real estate), we want a lot with trees. That’s a top priority. Until then, I’ll just be grateful we aren’t in Texas, where a house without shade becomes an oven.
Oh wow…bummer.
A tree is a living thing, with it’s own personality, expressed by it’s shape, texture, location, seasonal variations, shade/sun alteration, the emotions it invokes in the observer, the memories it stimulates in the observer. A tree lives as long as a human, or longer, and faces the elements day-in and day-out. To sacrifice a tree is a kind of euthanasia. A tree that you plant today will outlive you, and affect other humans in the future generations…but will only be there IF you and your progeny own the land on which the tree thrives. Own SOME land, somewhere, and put trees on it, and visit and watch them grow. They will be with you for the rest of your life. Include species diversity and, if possible, add some trees that flower in the springtime!