Candle in the Wind

Have you ever tried lighting a candle in the wind? Elton John surely knew it wasn't easy as he wrote of Norma Jean:

"And it seems to me you lived your life 
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in"

The pinus species find it easy to hold their candles in the wind. The new spring growth on pine trees resembles a candle--yes, proper horticulture name used for the new growth. If you are inclined, unlike me, to manicure and prune your pine trees, pinching the candle in spring is the recommended practice. This helps give the tree a more dense, compact habit.

Most of us inherited pine trees that we never planted in the first place. Homeowners readily cut down pine trees to avoid potential storm damage. But if you have a small tree in a location that can coexist with buildings, then pruning the candles would be a good idea.

Before taking on a major pruning job, it is best to be informed. A UGA publication cautions against cutting into the woody tissue - http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=B961 Virginia Tech offers a more detailed publication about pruning conifers- https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-457/430-457.html Or if you decide to try your hand at bonsai with conifers, check out these techniques at http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATPine%20Pruning%20Page2.html

I had my eye on a house for sale overlooking Lake Peachtree. It was a small ranch-style home nestled beneath shade and pine trees--the perfect setting for hydrangeas and other understory trees and shrubs. In fact, last year I was walking the neighborhood and spied the intense hues of a small hydrangea that prompted me to head back with my camera in hand.

A few months after the new owner took control, they apparently hired a logging crew to strip the landscape of trees leaving no risk of storm damage. And no shade, no ambiance, no shelter for the hydrangea.

It's a judgment call: trees come with a risk of damage to structures. Selection of wind resistant trees along with proper care and maintenance will help minimize some of the risks.

Most of my pine trees are across the meadow. I have one, which the older and larger it gets, the more I question my sensibility. Even cutting down trees comes with risks--a different story for another day.