Biscuits as Big as my Head

In a grand effort to ignore how the world is collapsing around me, I drove down the hill to the legendary Ruth's Diner.

The second you slide into your chair, they kindly hand you a plate of the most glorious fluffy biscuits known to man. Bonus! They're free.

Hmmm... I quietly thought to myself. If the stock market tanks any further, I'll be fine! I'll just tag along with my friends who still have jobs and eat the biscuits.

I was lunching with my 2 favorite Master Gardeners and their distraught patient, Mimi. Mimi is not actually the patient and that's probably why she is holding up so well. Her favorite tree, however, is heading to the promised land.

Well, that's not officially true.

• Only 33% of us believe the Norway Spruce is a lost cause. [KC, you are such the cynic.]
• The other 2/3 of this expert opinion poll [of 3!] are vacillating between chop it down and leave it alone.

Calling all Tree Healers. Mimi's beloved Norway Spruce has, indeed, seen better days. This 60-foot beauty is crammed into a very tight spot. Construction completely limits her root expansion on one side. The side that should receive and hold the most water, since it's on a steep hill.

The wood is strong, though the bark is splitting.

Sap seeps from the split bark, yet we cannot see visible pest problems.

So... how do we save this tree?


The impressive artwork in this blog post is courtesy of our new-found friend, (and clearly a nature lover!) Erica.