The Front Garden in September

 

The Front Garden on September 21, 2026

This was how the front garden looked on Monday, September 21, 2026.  Not too different from how it had looked at the end of summer for several years, now, with the eucalyptus tree looming large, needing to be trimmed at least every other year.  Eucalyptus trees have shallow roots, they say and, as a result, they are more likely to topple over during storms.  In between the trimmings, every time there was a rain storm or we had strong Santa Ana winds, I'd peer anxiously at the tree, wondering if it would survive the storm and the winds intact.

Another Look

We have been warned that we will experience a very strong El Nino weather pattern this winter and I knew that I wanted to get the eucalyptus tree trimmed before that.  So, last week, I called the tree trimmers I've been using for the past several years and they sent out someone to look at the tree and give me an estimate.  Actually, I asked for two estimates - one for trimming and one for cutting it all the way down and removing it.

They came out this morning, just before 7:00 a.m.

Tree Trimming Equipment

But first, we had to figure out whose truck was blocking my drive way and ask them to move it!  Turned out, it was my next door neighbor's truck!

Work Begins

There was a crew of five workers plus the supervisor and lots of equipment:

Work in Progress

These guys were fast!  

Almost Done

Yes, I chose to have the tree cut down completely and removed.  Partly because the recurrent expense was getting to be a bit too much and partly because I was worried that the tree roots, which were quite big, might damage the foundation of the house.  

Removing the Stump

There was a machine to grind down the stump.  They had to remove some of the euryop bushes to maneuver the machine into place, but, I had been warned about that, before hand and I didn't mind it.  I had already had M remove the succulents we had planted under the eucalyptus tree.

The Stump Removed

What I didn't expect was for the guys to replant the euryop bushes and water them in, afterwards!  I thought that was very nice of them to do so.  Whether they will survive is a different matter!  

The Front Garden on September 22, 2026

It looks a bit different, doesn't it?  It's yet another change that I am making this year!  The whole thing was done in under three hours!

In the meantime, while the tree trimmers were cutting down my tree, one of my neighbors from across the street spoke to them and asked them to take down her tree, too!  Apparently, her neighbor had been complaining about the tree and she was, I guess, tired of the neighbor's complaints!  So, the tree trimmers took down her tree, too!  

The eucalyptus tree being gone is going to take a little getting used to.  But, the front garden make over has begun!

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being able to get the eucalyptus tree removed safely
- Having the budget to get that done
- All the specialized machinery and equipment which made the whole task seem to easy
- The guys replanting the plants they had to dig up to make room

- They were given an opportunity to do a second job while they were working on my tree

Later, in the afternoon, I went to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription refill and I decided to go ahead and put more gas to my car, as I was at half-tank, before the gas prices went up even higher.  The cheapest gas in my neighborhood was $6.05 per gallon and I put another $50 worth of gas.  That was my October gas budget.  I am thankful that I am able to dip into the October budget in September and I am grateful that gas is still available.  And that's all I'm going to say about that!