Thistleblooms Rambles

[Bruce]

After.

It looks great!

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks! Now to keep the momentum going and finish some more projects before the spring insanity of my life begins.

 

[thistlebloom]

The windstorm a few weeks back that took out our dog run did some damage at one of my clients homes.
The property manager sent me a few photos.
That busted off trunk on the right was a 100ish -+year old horse chestnut. A large Ponderosa pine across the street came down on top of it and snapped it off. It just grazed the left side of the roof and tore off the fascia and some roofing.

It crashed on the patio and took out a few Japanese maples, but somehow missed all the windows.

About a dozen mature rhodies were destroyed and some smaller shrubs.
I'll be busy with re-landscaping a portion of the front yard this spring. Went from shade garden to full sun garden.

 

[Ridgetop]

Gives you an opportunity to design something new for a sunny spot.

 

[thistlebloom]

Yes!
Design and installation are my favorite things. Some of the destroyed landscaping was old and tired anyway. I heard from the owners (snow birds) and the Mrs. asked me to not remove the rhodies in hopes they would recover.
Not really my call at this point, the tree company did all the cleanup and they are gone. Fortunately. Sometimes I think having oodles of dollars makes some people very impractical.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Yes!
Design and installation are my favorite things. Some of the destroyed landscaping was old and tired anyway. I heard from the owners (snow birds) and the Mrs. asked me to not remove the rhodies in hopes they would recover.
Not really my call at this point, the tree company did all the cleanup and they are gone. Fortunately. Sometimes I think having oodles of dollars makes some people very impractical.

Wouldn't they have fried anyway, going from full shade to full sun? Bummer the trees fell but glad it didn't hit the house.

 

[Bruce]

Just shows that Mother Nature doesn't care how much money one has.

Do you not like the Rhododendrons?? If they are too big for that spot or something, maybe the owners would like them moved?

 

[Ridgetop]

Since she loved her Rhodies (my mother did too in Seattle) maybe you can incorporate some of the newer varieties to keep her happy. They might not do as well in full sun, although I am not familiar with Idaho climate and growing. My main experience was with Rhodies in western Ireland where they grow wild and rampant like a forest all over the lower slopes of the Bens.

 

[thistlebloom]

Do you not like the Rhododendrons??

No, I like rhodies!
The point is there ARE no rhodies to salvage. The trees crushed, obliterated, and wiped them all out.

My comment about my clients request to try to save them was twofold.
A. If there were even any parts to salvage they would take careful pruning to try and make them look halfway decent. Add about 3 to 4 years before they grew new branches out and looked like a purposeful part of the landscape. Also not all rhodies have latent buds on the branches that will sprout into new growth when pruned.
B. All that time that they pay me for that would be spent on plants that were questionable, plus the years of waiting for them to maybe grow back into an attractive shrub could be side passed by spending a fraction of that labor cost on new vibrant healthy plants.

They bought this place, in front of their main house and property, as a guest house for their kids and grandkids to use when they visit. Other than the front portion which I re-landscaped after they renovated the house, all the rest of the landscaping is pretty ancient.
Lots and lots of rhodies and peonies at the main property.

Since she loved her Rhodies (my mother did too in Seattle) maybe you can incorporate some of the newer varieties to keep her happy. They might not do as well in full sun, although I am not familiar with Idaho climate and growing. My main experience was with Rhodies in western Ireland where they grow wild and rampant like a forest all over the lower slopes of the Bens.

Oh I will definitely keep her happy! That's what it's all about.
There are some varieties of rhodies that do good in sun.
The thing about that is they generally don't come to live at the house until the rhodies and peonies (another of her favorites) are bloomed out for the summer. I get to enjoy them though.

 

[Baymule]

Sometimes I think having oodles of dollars makes some people very impractical.

Somehow I think you are right about this.