|
Post by RocksInNJ on May 10, 2020 23:23:05 GMT -5
Great job. Looks really nice.
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,652
|
Post by Tommy on Jun 16, 2021 18:08:38 GMT -5
Reviving my own sleeping thread a little over one year later for an update. We went through a lot with the Palo Verde tree including dealing with a few local neigh sayers who tried to convince us that Palo Verde could never survive in California - especially in Napa where we get a strong marine layer most evenings unless we're in the midst of a heat spell like we are currently - and they were almost right. About six months ago we had a strong wind storm and the tree experienced a catastrophic break of the top center of the trunk and including several top branches. Various attempts to manipulate other branches to fill in the giant gap left by the missing branches led to failures and the loss of other branches, and we came very close to digging it up. The turning point came when I discovered a soft rubber coated wire product on Amazon and decided to try one more time. Then spring sprung... within a few weeks time we noticed that the little tree that could had a BOATLOAD of blossom buds coming. A short time later the tree exploded and it has been blooming like this for at least two months. Anyone who walks by within 12 feet of the tree immediately hears an intense buzzing from probably 200 bees collecting nectar at any given time during the day. Now we have folks stopping by to ask us what the h*ll this amazing yellow tree is haha. There is literally nothing like it anywhere in our neighborhood and it's attracting a lot of attention ... and not just from bees Believe it or not the blooms are actually starting to thin out with the onset of summer heat.
|
|
|
Post by mohs on Jun 16, 2021 19:21:39 GMT -5
looking good & good luck w/ that palo Tom! they take a beating during the Phx monsoon always make me wonder why a prolific desert tree isn’t more robust ? well…I’m probably not looking at right anyway those rocks aren't going anywhere so n
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Jun 16, 2021 20:47:41 GMT -5
Tommy really nice landscaping --- no boring lawns! Beautiful tree! We need bees. Are you going to start raising bees for honey? You need another hobby : )
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,652
|
Post by Tommy on Jun 16, 2021 21:14:20 GMT -5
anyway those rocks aren't going anywhere soon That is a fact ... we hand picked and collected those from the Nevada desert between Fernley and Silver Springs My back still hurts just thinking about it.
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,652
|
Post by Tommy on Jun 16, 2021 21:17:49 GMT -5
We need bees. Are you going to start raising bees for honey? You need another hobby : ) Nooo... I'm quite content in my role as the provider of the local pollen hole. What is amazing is that we've identified at least five different type of bee's that are enjoying this tree - everything from giant bumble bee's to honey bee's to several other we don't recognize ... there's a yellow bee that we've seen that is as big as a large bumble but it looks like a honey. It's really wonderful - Eva and I were just sitting on the porch admiring them and there is at least 100 bees on it right this minute at 7pm. It makes us happy hahaha
|
|
|
Post by fernwood on Jun 16, 2021 22:39:11 GMT -5
The tree is beautiful. Bees can be so entertaining.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Jun 18, 2021 7:14:06 GMT -5
Your tree is beautiful! With it broken like that, it kinda looks like a blooming weeping willow. A nice addition to your landscape.
|
|
victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,978
|
Post by victor1941 on Jun 19, 2021 10:33:09 GMT -5
Tommy, that is an excellent job on layout and landscaping that should be easy to maintain.
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Jun 20, 2021 10:09:51 GMT -5
We just got back from a quick trip to the bay area for a memorial, came back across 40 and Elizabeth found seed pods on several Palo Verde trees along the way. There are several varieties, some acclimate and survive better than others. Elizabeth never found a colorful plant she doesn't want to try to grow, so it's an interesting competition between my minimalist rock landscaping with hardy plants to accentuate the grounds, and her jungle of color.
|
|