Only God can make a tree!

Our home when we moved in in Nov 2003

Our home 3 years later

I love trees and forests and lakes. When we moved into our present home in Elba, AL, there was not a single tree or bush or anything in our yard, just 2 acres of clay soil with wild grass and weeds. We had left behind 80 acres of pine trees, lots of hardwood trees in the woods, a lake and spring. We were so weary of taking care of our farm that we wanted to move to town and have a small city lot. But the only house we could find that fit into our plans was in the middle of two city lots! We moved into it in the winter of 2003 and in 2004 we began to landscape the new yard.

The bermuda grass lawn looks nice in the summer months but turns brown in the winter. We have a nice crop of weeds in the spring before the bermuda starts to turn green. We planted a lot of trees in 2004 and now 4 years later they look like they have been here forever. Some are now providing shade. Many of the shrubs I propagated after we moved here. It's exciting to watch them grow. Our only disaster was the banana bush that grew so fast and so big we had to dig it up. We put the big roots in a gulley behind our house and I expect any day to see a "banana forest" in that area!

back porch

I have a potting shed where I propagate plants and keep them watered. I have been giving away muscadine and concord grape vines this spring. Have lots of crepe myrtles to pass along.


My Master Gardening knowledge is so helpful.

Autumn Blaze Maple 2004

Autumn Blaze maple fall 2005

swing arbor we built 2005

Swing Arbor 1 year later