-: December 2008

Monday, December 22, 2008

Ornament

My Aunt Dori made a great suggestion this year for my grandparents. Each of us in the family were to make or buy an ornament for their tree that somehow has meaning. I foolishly decided to make one, but the story behind mine is that my Grandpa called me "Cookie," and my Grandma called me "Candy." So there it is.
Now please, Aunt Dori, if you see this, don't nab it just yet for their Ceiva. Thanks!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Tree Update

For those of you who are interested in landscaping, here's stage one of what will surely be a 5-year plan. Special props to Chris at Inner Banks Landscaping! He did a great job picking trees for us and they look fabulous!
Plus, I have to add a special mention to my Grandma -- David's Great-Grandma (!!), without whom these beautiful additions to our home would not have been possible. Thank you, dear Grandma, for your wonderful, generous gift!!

This is a River Birch. Has a lovely flaky bark -- quite different from the white paper birch from up north, but this one can take our NC heat.

This is a Deodar Cedar, sometimes called a California Christmas Tree. Has lovely droopy bluish branches with short bright green needles. Could it be any cuter?

This is a maple tree known as "Sun Valley." It's meant to cast shade on the back of the house and screen porch. It's full of buds, so should look great next year.

This is an "October Glory" maple known for its bright red color in fall. It should provide shade and privacy for the back corner of the house.

Here's a shot of all the trees in the yard. In front of the Deodar Cedar, you can see the bright red branches of a Japanese maple called "Sango Kaku" -- this was our landscaper's pick. I wanted a small, decorative tree, and this was the perfect pick - I can't wait for spring.
What you can't see is a row of forsythia along the property line that'll form a natural fence and background for flowers. Hope you enjoyed the show!