Fall Begins

September 1st is next Saturday. I know fall doesn't officially start with September 1st, but there's something in my head that always considers June 1st the start of summer and September 1st the start of fall.

We pulled the petunias from the flower box today and arranged for the delivery of Mom and Dad's 28th anniversary present: a 13/15-foot small-leaf linden tree for our backyard. Since they don't read this blog I think we're safe on that announcement.

September is probably the best time to plant a new tree. Trees grow leaves and branches in summer and roots in winter; and when you plant a tree in spring, it's hard on it to have to support leaves and branches through the heat with it's newly-shrunk root ball. Planting in early fall gives it time to get a little established while we get plenty of rain and the ground is warm, then lets it hibernate and concentrate on growing new roots for a few months before it's time to grow new leaves.

Our nearby nursery just happened to be having a sale today when Anne, Leigh, Lynne, and I showed up searching for a linden. We talked to a nursery worker and found they had three types of lindens in stock: the American or Silver-leaf Linden, the Golden Linden, and the Little-Leaf Linden (Greenspire). We looked at pictures and heights and decided the one Mom and Dad have been dreaming of getting for a while was the Greenspire, since it's most recognizable feature is it's almost perfect pear shape and the large clusters of flowers it has in late spring. I think they smell like honeysuckle, but since our last favorite linden was growing near a honeysuckle vine, it's difficult to tell which I was actually smelling.

The nursery will also deliver the tree and handed us a small white flag to mark the position in the yard where we'd like the tree set down. I didn't realize they delivered so precisely and I think we'll try to dig the hole and get everything ready so we can say, "Set it in here, please!"

I'm not yet sure how we'll keep this a secret from Mom and Dad, especially since we'll have to do some preparation and possibly move a sprinkler head this week to make room. We'd really like to get it in the ground without them knowing about it, but I think we'd somehow have to get them out of the house for most of the day Friday to succeed.