Autumn's Treasure

Yesterday, I noticed the backyard, ash tree is changing color very quickly. Some cast-offs are beginning to clutter the lawn. Ash trees turn a lovely yellow, and when the entire tree is golden, the sun filtering through the leaves shimmers and covers everything a blanket of gold. Lovely to see, but so short-lived because the ash do not hold on to the transformed leaves long. They shower to the ground and too quickly dry out and turn into curled and brittle shells.

I have three trees in my yard, all ash. They are usually the last trees in the neighborhood to leaf in the spring, and the first to lose their leaves in the fall. My neighbors and I enjoy their shade in the summer, and because they provide such wonderful shade, I endure the billions of seeds the tree in the front discards in the lawn, on the drive and walk, and in the street.

Keeping a tree healthy in Wyoming takes some work and dedication. Ash trees are susceptible to scale and all sorts of bugs, but thanks to a great local arborist, I have managed to keep the trees healthy. I nearly lost one of the front trees about eight years ago, but he pulled it back from the brink.

The trees have grown since I purchased the house in 1993, and are the tallest trees on the block. I hope they continue to prosper.