I love my red Japanese maples 🍁..

It was a great day for pictures, your last hurrah before leaf drop is terrific. The JMs are gorgeous and your plants are going down so gracefully.

thanks peren..the colors were so pretty in the sunshine..pic #3 in my comment has a bunch of August Moons..the yellow was glowing..

djacobz..most of mine are Bloodgood..I think I have a tag for my one like yours..it's a laceleaf or threadleaf..I've heard both names..I don't know the variety..

So what's happening with the electric company having run over your garden?

Esther..not much..I decided to call the claims department before I file a claim..no one answered..l left a voicemail..they haven't called me back..🙁

the electric company called..they say they're not responsible!..the subcontractor is responsible..they're contacting the subcontractor to send an investigator to review damages..it feels like I'm getting the runaround 🙁..so typical that nobody will take the blame..

Welcome to the world of administrative frustration. I was up until about 3 a.m. last night, getting ready for the window contractor to come to replace my 2 leaking bedroom windows--straightening my home, 2 loads of laundry, vacuuming, etc. , working like an automaton. G-d forbid the management should tell me WHAT TIME to expect them, just that it was today. Well, they knocked on my door and called me on my cell, which was turned off for the night to recharge, at 9 this morning and I was in the rear bedroom and didn't hear. So I shorted myself badly on sleep and killed myself doing 2 days of chores in 1, for nothing, as the contractor then turned and went away. They are supposed to come back Veterans Day---haha, it's supposed to RAIN. I told the management it's supposed to rain that day, and if their carpeting gets wet and molds, I don't care.

Esther..how frustrating 🙁..do any workers these days do what they should???..the work continued today next door and across the street..at some point someone tied our 5 flattened shrubs to stakes..we were in front and didn't see them..they made no effort to speak to us..was it the inspector?..I took a pic of one of the trucks..has the company name and number..they're supposed to contact me..but if they don't I have their info..

Nicholsworth, I hope you have taken plenty of pictures of the damage to your plants and that you get some kind of compensation. Frustrating to get the run around! Someone should have told you what to expect.

I see that you Esther are also having a frustrating time too.

Nice to see your woodland property Nicholsworth. I am wondering what kind of tree is in photo #3? I think one of my neighbors planted two similar trees. Do they bloom in the spring?

newhostalady..that's a Kousa dogwood..it's never bloomed..it's still small..I'm hoping someday I'll have blooms..

Nicholsworth, I'll never have a lot big enough for any kind of woods, but I greatly admire yours. You must get a lot of birds, and I am a birdwatcher. If you have a room overlooking your woods, I'd sit at a table there for breakfast and it would be hours before I'd leave. At best, when I get my little house (after this long wait and who knows how much longer the wait will be), something I definitely want in the yard is a deep watermelon pink crape myrtle and a Rising Sun redbud tree. My friend has that kind of crape myrtle in her yard, and it's just beautiful. I haven't seen anyone in this area with a Rising Sun redbud tree. Are they not good for zone 7b?

It's so pretty! I would love to have a dogwood tree. I remember going on a hosta bus tour and people talking about the dogwoods in a particular garden. I didn't know about them and really didn't understand the big deal about them. Now I know! My friend showed me her garden this spring and the beautiful dogwood she has. She said it was a pagoda dogwood.

Just after I visited my friend I read an article by Mark Cullen (written in the fall). He talked about collecting seeds from certain trees to try to grow. He said:

"Now is the perfect time of year to look for tree seeds: they are abundant and ripe for harvest for many hardwood species, such as oaks (acorns), maples and walnuts, as well as shrubs such as juniper and dogwood. A ripe seed should pluck off the plant easily."

I asked my friend if she had gotten any seed. She said the birds ate them all in the spring after it bloomed. Maybe I'll talk her into putting nylon pantyhose over some of the blossoms so that some seed can be collected.

Esther..thank you for the compliment 🙂..the rooms where we live - the family room (biggest room in the house) and kitchen/breakfast area have windows looking into the backyard..the dining room has one too..we do have beautiful birds..we buy good quality seed and they love it..my climate's too cold for crape myrtles..I'd get one in a heartbeat if I had a warmer zone..we planted a Forest Pansy redbud years ago but it died..I read they're more delicate than the Eastern redbud..I have some redbud volunteers but no mature redbuds..I think your zone would be a great place for a redbud..

newhostalady..I have 4 Kousa dogwoods..none have bloomed but all of them are pretty and doing well..

I remember looking up kousas to read about non blooming..after I posted my last comment I looked again and saw this..

Yes dogwoods are slooooow. But SO worth the wait. I got an evergreen dogwood as a two foot skinny twig a couple of years ago... I hope I live to see it be substantial. I’m fifty by the way😂😂😂

Sorry nw and Esther for your problems. I really don’t think anybody accepts blame anymore OR has much pride in their work :(

oursteelers..what you said about accepting blame and taking pride etc..sad but true 😪

I'm 65..guess I should've bought bigger trees 😂..my other 3 dogwoods..pics taken just now..#1..the biggest one leans..#2..has 2 leaders at the top..I can't prune it 🙁..#3..the cutest is the furthest from the house 🙁..right side left of the boxwood..

forgot this pic of a redbud seedling..

a better pic of the dogwood that's furthest from the house..and a shot of the house today..

I love that bright red against the dark of the house. So beautiful.

thank you oursteelers..🙂..hey your Steelers are doing great aren't they?..

nw, they are but man some of their games have given me stomach issues!!! The Colts(also having a good year) are playing the Ravens today right? It would be great if they could do us a favor and hand the Ravens another loss!