Some people might think, well, it’s just a tree…that it’s not comparable to whacking a car with the backhoe or backing over a toddler.
But to a homeowner who nurtured the shade tree and its sister trees for 18 years it was not so different than a wallop to a family pet. Plus the tree was one of several Lindens in a row so straight that they were most certainly planted using a chalk line and tended with the same precision for the same number of years it would take to get a kid from infancy through high school graduation and off to college.
When the homeowner purchased the house 18 years prior, the newbie Linden trees were about 12 feet tall and skinny. The house was exposed to the western sun and baked by every afternoon. The homeowners looked forward to the day their Lindens would be large enough to protect their home from the relentless summer heat. And the trees would also provide mothers pushing prams and kids on trikes some relief from the sun that other homes on the block offered…some huge elms and others, like these Lindens, planted to replace trees from a last generation.
About 5 years earlier the homeowner engaged Donovan Arborists to provide superior tree care. Donovan pruned the trees for optimal growth, treated the soil to help eliminate the Japanese beetle that feed on the tree leaves. The trees, particularly good for Denver and Colorado’s climate, had soared to majestic heights over the last several years, in large part, due to the attentive care Donovan provided.
When Donovan arrived on the scene this warm June day, he inserted himself between the stately Linden tree and Denver Water’s crew and the backhoe operator.
He was having none of it. The tree had been maimed seriously and considerable more damage was imminent if the crew wasn’t stopped. He held out his arms barring the crew from continuing with the backhoe.
The damage, well, it was already done and more was imminent if he didn’t take the lead.
Donovan instructed the crew how to appropriately cut any roots of the tree where they needed to vacate the space and he demanded they keep the cutting to a minimum.
A week later, the new water main was along the street was completed, and Paul Donovan has been to the house since to medicate the tree to promote root growth for the roots that had to be cut and slow top growth of the tree so the roots can recover and support the tree.
Donovan’s diagnosis: He believes the tree is “out-of-the-woods” now, but will require some additional care to ensure its health and service for years to come.
“You have to be passionate about trees to do what Paul did. In my mind he’s a super hero of trees,” the homeowner declared.
Homeowners considering adding trees to their yard should consider Lindens. CSU Extension Services reports the following: A valuable landscape tree, lindens are prized for their pyramid shape and they have few insect problems, tolerate our sub-zero winter temperatures and our alkaline soils. Lindens are slower growers and will take some years to provide shade. Blooming in July, their flowers are fragrant, attract bees, and can be used as a tea.
