The Pear Tree…it’s ALIVE!!!

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We had three 60-foot Cottonwood trees in front of the RainyDayMagazine office for years. They were not our choice for landscaping, but after twenty years, we grew to tolerate them.

They provided great shade during the Summer, but were very messy in the Spring. After flowering in May, they blanketed everything with their stringy remains. In June, their bajillion or so wispy seeds coated everything—and I mean EVERYTHING−within a five-block radius in a layer of white fuzz (which must’ve been a nightmare for allergy sufferers throughout the neighborhood). Come September, the leaves would go from green to brown, drop all at once, and create an ungodly, gutter-clogging mat.

Still, when backlit by the sun, the seeds were mesmerizing to watch as they gently drifted away from their source. Also, when all is said and done, the trees were doing more good for the environment than we were.

Last Fall, though, it was strongly recommended by our lawn guys that the three cottonwood trees that had shaded the house for 35 years be taken down.

While the trees made it possible for us not to use central AC for 20 years, they had become far too tall and were now a threat to the safety of the two units directly under them. We had noticed a slight “shifting” of the overall structure, which we thought was probably due to the trees’ roots getting under the foundation.

We spent the weekend before the removal enjoying and honoring their service over the years, and will miss them when they are gone, even if we’ll be safer for it.

Cottontree Removal

We are sad that the cottonwoods are gone, but are relieved that we won’t have to worry during future hurricanes that a branch might come crashing through the roof.

Pear Tree Planting

Our friend Lisa A. told us she had a Clapp’s Favorite pear tree in her front yard that she had been nursing for three years. It had been growing OK, but she said that we were welcome to it if we were willing to dig it up and move it. She didn’t have to offer twice 🙂 We were over the next morning with a shovel and a big bag. 

Our front lawn looked like an asteroid had hit it once the yard/tree guys left, but with the stumps gone, prepping the hole for the coming pear tree was easy. Also, the wood chips from the ground-up stump made for good cover to protect the new tree over the winter.

Moving a tree will always be a shock to it, but at least it was warm when we did it, as was the week after the planting. We had great hope the tree would take to its new home. Also, with the Cottonwood trees gone, the spot where we put all the indoor plants will now be a LOT brighter…so there’s that 🙂

Spring 2025

The burning question as the area we emerged from Winter was, “Did the pear tree survive?” In March, we had some hopeful signs of new buds, but we were not certain. We monitored things closely (a.k.a. “every day”) and were finally rewarded with some positive indication of growth…it’s STILL ALIVE!!!

We now have a nice sequence of flowering trees in the RainyDayGarden. The pear tree was the first to blossom in early April, followed by the Japanese Maple later in the month, the Black Cherry, and finally the Chinese Dogwood in May.