Crape Myrtle

 

You may remember the Crape Myrtle.  I’ve sent out photos of it in bloom before.

 

 

It makes a wonderful compact flowering tree.  We have one in our yard.  Problem is, ours was never pruned, so it’s just a tall skinny thing with a lot of flowers at the top.  When we sit on our deck, all the branches and flowers are out of sight, up above the roofs.

 

I’ve been trimming it back.  It’s a gradual process.  We don’t want to go out and knock off half or two thirds of the tree in one whack; that would be a little tough on the tree.  I wait until January (or sometimes February) when it’s dormant, and take off two or three feet each year.

 

But how do we get to the top of a tall skinny tree to trim it.  Can’t reach it from the ground.  The branches are too thick to cut with a pruning tool on a long stick.  Can’t stand on a roof and reach out to trim it; it’s not close enough to reach with a handsaw.  It takes a special tool.  You’ve probably already guessed where this is headed, and if you are absolutely correct if you are guessing CHAINSAW ON A STICK!

 

That’s right.  The perfect power tool on a long extendible arm.  I know we have one in the park so I went to borrow it from Jay (the boss of the park) (unless, of course, Karen is there.  Her presence makes Jay second in command).  Well, Jay produced a gasoline powered chainsaw on a stick.  I just couldn’t see myself standing on a roof, reaching out as far as I could, while attached to that much power, so I went in search of a less deadly piece of equipment and found it at Bob and Kathryn’s in the form of an ELECTRIC CHAINSAW ON A STICK.

Just my speed.

 

The tree trimming was a success.  The patient may not survive the process, but we’re determined to turn this tall skinny thing into a bushy flowering specimen tree, even if it kills it.

 

We’ll keep you posted.