SLGC’s Celebration of our GCA Membership Centennial

November 30, 2020, the Trees are delivered!

Kentucky Coffee Tree is delivered, in the driving sleet, to its site.

Delivery brought on a major wet snow storm, causing damage to our planting site.

On December 10, when the snow finally melted, we began planting. Leaves and loose snow were blown away, and each tree location was marked by a 10' circle.

Here is the Kentucky Coffee Tree at its circle.

Our trees slept through it under a blanket of snow.

Existing sod is carefully removed as a roll, and carted away in wheelbarrows.

The hole is dug for the tree ball, and the ball is set upright. Certified Arborist Anthony Angelotta is setting the Yellow Buckeye in place.

The central part of the circle is excavated for the Yellow Buckeye to be planted.

Soil amendments are tilled into the outer tree circle after rocks and roots are removed.

Amended topsoil on the left; Mulch on the right.

The Chinkapin Oak is planted, foreground, as the Ironwood is planted beyond.

Mulch is spread after the Red Maple is planted. The Kentucky Coffee Tree awaits planting in the distance.

Mulch is tamped solidly onto the finished Ironwood planting.

Trunk guards are set in place on all the newly planted trees.

Staking locations are designated.

December 11, the protective fencing and stakes are set around the Buckeye. The stump in the foreground is from the 2019 microburst.

Some memorial trees in the Park have been less well-planted, but the Shaker Forester loves our trees!

Some memorial trees in the Park have been less well-selected, also -- although they are growing!

Our trees are happy! This is the Ironwood, all settled in for winter.

And with all that noisy work, the neighbors were never disturbed.

Ladies of the Committee, marking the trees sites in October.

Trees in their new homes in December.

You have all read about our Committee’s plans to commemorate the SLGC’s centennial year of membership in the Garden Club of America. Would we plant daffodils? Trees? Which…where…how?

The trees are in! Having selected native tree species well-adapted to our changing climatic conditions as well as existing ones at Lower Lake Park, we have planted a grove of trees to stand, we hope, for the next hundred years and to inspire others to plant beautiful native trees.

Here are photographs that document the planting process from start to finish, along with panoramic shots of members of the committee representing the planting sites and, finally, the trees representing themselves in the same panoramic view.

(To follow the story, scroll down.)

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