the Road to Hell is lined with Bradford Pears

Michael Dirr silhouetted
Michael Dirr was in Charlottesville yesterday speaking at the 28th Annual Central Virginia Landscape Management Seminar,
presented by the Piedmont Landscape Association. In the morning he gave a talk titled “In Praise of Noble Trees”.
Michael Dirr is the author of the Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (6th Edition) The bible of the Nursery/Landscape industry and gardeners, additionally he has published hundreds of other works and planted thousands of trees.


The reality for trees in this tree city is tough. A year ago we planted three oaks in a part of our neighborhood that sorely needs trees. One was mowed over by a lawn service guy who couldn’t be troubled to steer his lawn chariot around it. A second survived a house fire, but had to be moved when a track-hoe needed access to knock down the burnt house remains. The third still lives.


This is the time of year to be making a list of bare root seedlings to plant early in the spring. The Virginia Department of Forestry has how to plant guidelines on their website. The Department of Forestry sells seedlings.
Musser Forests is my favorite bare root tree source.
Kept away from cretinous lawnmower operators and deer, bare root seedlings will do well.
This Bur oak is four feet tall in less than a year.

Author: WmX

I stumbled off the track to success in 1968, started chasing shadows that summer. Since then, In addition to farm-laborer and newspaper photographer my occupational incarnations include dishwasher, janitor, retail photo clerk, plumber, HVAC repairman, auto mechanic, CAT scan technologist, computer worker and politico (whatever it takes to buy a camera.) I am on the road to understanding black and white photography.

2 thoughts on “the Road to Hell is lined with Bradford Pears”

  1. “Bring your Dirr” our instructor would say. 31 years ago in college(in Canada) we used his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants as a text . I still have that old softcover book and refer to it.

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