The Ginko

In 1994 I stuck a little tree in the ground in front of my house in Florida. It was a Live Oak sapling and I figured in a few years I'd have some shade to park my car under. It took about nineteen years, but I eventually got my shade. That, and a lot of leaves and bird shit. Well bird shit be damned, I loved that tree. I festooned it with a few sprigs of Spanish Moss back in 2007 and that took off, spreading from branch to branch. My oak tree was beautiful. I was so happy with that tree that I planted a companion Live Oak on the other side of the front yard for symmetry. The Spanish Moss took a liking to that tree and spread over to her branches. I was living in the Southern United States, and now my home looked the part. Truly, the only thing I miss about Florida are those trees.

So I bought a home in Chicago and moved up here. Unfortunately, this house has not one tree in the yard. Nothing but small patches of lawn. The first week I moved here I contacted the city and requested a tree to be planted in the parkway out in front of the house. They still have not planted a tree there. I may take matters in my own hands, but I'll wait until next year. What I have done, is go on line and order a ginko tree for the back yard. I need my shade, I need my trees. So two days after ordering the tree on line, FedEx dropped a long box off at my house. I popped it open and there it was, the twig. A skinny four foot long twig with no planting instructions. So I dug a big hole in the back yard and made an educated guess as to what the twig needed. Hopefully it will thrive and within a few years I'll have a nice tree back there. My only worry are the dogs. Scout likes to dig holes, and Chandler... well Chandler is a big male who loves to lift his leg on new things he finds in the yard.