tree tubes

When Tilly was 10 weeks old she hung out while I planted 41 tulip trees in tubes.
Two years later all those trees have survived. Some have thrived, others are only slightly larger than when they were planted. Same weather, same soil, same source. What is the variable that accounts for the difference?
Tree tubes are not magic. Maintenance is required.

buttercups

In the interior of the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the buttercup is called “Coyote’s eyes”. In the legend, Coyote was tossing his eyes up in the air and catching them again when Eagle snatched them. Unable to see, Coyote made eyes from the buttercup–Wikipedia

green

this photo is from the Northern Neck of Virginia, near Slabtown. I didn’t plant any of this grass. The grassed area had been in a soybean/corn rotation for the past 30 years (at least). A contractor in the neighborhood likes to say that grass “just happens”. The grass visible in this photo volunteers in late fall, after the Panicum dichotomiflorum stops growing. I wish this grass was year round… What is it?

quercus macrocarpa

branch from below
Quercus macrocarpa is cultivated by plant nurseries for use in gardens, in parks, and on urban sidewalks. Bur oak makes an outstanding ornamental tree. Among the white oaks, it is one of the most tolerant of urban conditions, and is one of the fastest-growing of the group. It has been planted in many climates, ranging northwards to Anchorage, Alaska, and as far south as Mission, Texas. It withstands chinook conditions in Calgary, Alberta.–wikipedia

Big acorns on the downtown mall.