What have you done today in the Garden?

You have a lot of really cool trees. I have a understory tree collection a rare stripped bark bi color maple. I started from seedlings. Last summer idiots from the power company came on my property and trimmed the ever luvin …
??? Off the tops and sides . So unbalanced. I have been trimming them for 20 years they were fine. They were under the power line that was 100’ up the driveway to the house. I was not home and when they did the scalp job. I am takin them to small claims court when I get a chance.

It was heartbreaking to see what those idiots did to my under-story tree collection, these are not trees on a easement by the road. These trees are on my property. I filed a complaint with the power company and I was so upset they sent the power company rep to look at what I was talking about. Ah that was a waste of time they still did not understand what damage they did to my trees forever. Not more than 20’ total height for these small under-story trees. Then all the shade plants under them are now in full sun because the tops were scalped off and none of the shade plants and shrubs under these trees will make it thru next summer. Thousands of $$$ lost to the stupidity of these idiots who trespassed on my property and think they have the right to damage personal property. The power company rules stated …”Any trees on private property under power lines need the permission of the property owner before trimming. So they are gonna have to reimburse the damage …in small claims is only up to $3000.00. I got ‘em they did not have my permission. A little zealous to trespass on my property to make a few extra buck for a days work…

These trees are on private property and in 20 years they have never interfered with power to my home. I was so upset ,it still kills me every time I look at them after years of caring for them trimming training protecting them from gypsy moth , beetles … it was uncalled for them to come up my driveway and on my property and literally scalp 5 trees.

Broken heart …it will mend within time…

 

That's terrible Pacnorwest, i hope that you do it soon.

 

Pac, your story sounds disturbing.
Is this case over, or will you take it further?

 

Nothing today it's raining again

 

@Pacnorwest your story makes me sad I hope you are able to find some sort of resolution, in your peace of mind if not through legal means, Maybe you can makeup names for the people involved, then name slugs those names, then feed them to chickens. "Take that, Gollum",

Now that I'm starting seedlings, there is something to obsess over.

The first Echinacea seedling. Maybe this hybrid doesn't require stratification?



The first onion seedling.



I learned something. On the seedling mat, the temperature at the soil surface is five degrees F lower than at the bottom of the same seedling cell.



I just use a sheet of plastic to cover the seed trays, until they germinate. If only some germinate, I make a tent out of the plastic to keep them warm and humid but allow growth.

There are as many ways as there are gardeners.

Here are the packets I planted last night.



If too many grow, I can give some away. There's no such thing as too many hot peppers - they go into hot sauce.

Somehow I lost the packet of eggplant seeds that I saved myself. Fortunately there are some old seeds from previous years.

 

Trying to predict this years weather long range at this point.

Headfullofbees shared this context video.

 

Daniel…Thank you for your sympathy about my trees that were beheaded on my property by the power co. it is heart breaking all the years of growing care taking . It was a beautiful tree.
First pic before white paper birch beheaded and the whole left side removed.
Second pic whole right side of paper birch tree totally removed.

Rare striped maple bi-color tree beheaded and stripped

before pic scalloped.showing shoe smal tree ..tri color leaves and striped bark trunk. It’s all off ruined the shape of mt prized rare tree.

 

Pacnorwest, I'm speachless of what they have done.

 

To Sjoerd , Mel, Logan,Daniel, Teeters, Anyone … interested in this unlawful tree trimming by their power co. On private property. Here’s the before pics ..

The pics here before the trees I planted as seedlings in my driveway 100’ on my property that the power co. Illegally beheaded on my property when I wasn’t home
Right now life has taken over no time to pursue this matter with the courts system . Cannot use homeowners they will raise coverage rate at least double it -in a fire zone .. the state will be reading the fire zone map we care not in a fire zone .. any way that’s a whole different issue since the rain this season that will change drastically due to to much rain.

see more pics before 5 trees were beheaded ..exit driveway first pic.. entrance driveway 2nd pic

 

I dealt with this issue once when I owned a multi-unit apartment building. Many might be vaguely familiar with right of way rules which can generally extend as a measurement from the center of a street to either side for a variety of reasons such as underground utilities. What I did not know was there is a diameter around a power line wire that is also a right of way zone. Useful if you want a dangerous tree down as I did, but sad when they take something attractive to prevent loss of services.

 

Dirt yes it is sad.
Logan… years of having tree arborists to trim my trees for winter season.
Bayer systemic applied yearly to control beetles, jypsy moths. Training them to grow with good form from tiny seedlings. Power co did not have my permission to cut these trees. Here it is against the law to come onto private property and cut trees without the owners permission. This was not a road easement , this area is in my front pasture.Had no idea that I just had them trimmed properly by a arborist. They came along and took limbs off one side of all the paper birches 5’ from the ground . I hope we don’t have a April wind / ice storm . Just the weight of the ice will cause the unbalanced tree to up root and collapse now that all the branches and weight is on one side. I use the paper birch tree bark that peels off yearly to make wrapping paper, x-mass ornaments and pictures to hang up on the walks for gifts.

 

Those pics show lovely tree. All the money and care you have put into maintaining them… it is a bit disturbing. Perhaps when things ease, you can look more closely into what can be done;however, whatever you do, the damage has been done.
Phooey—it is not nice.

 

Thats what I mean, their right of way extends 3 dimensionally up into the air as well as access to get to them. But the R.O.W. has sizes, they are written, and I would go find out what they are or call them to find out. Just in case they overreached for example.

 

Finished emptying the compost bin, just got 1 to go, do that anytime.

 

@Logan was it you hunting for an electric vehicle? Maybe it was Sheal. I had run across some and they seem fun!