Gardeners, landscapers, and horticulturists know that managing plants is a never-ending project. Even if you're not intentionally adding new plants, you get volunteers that you end up keeping and taking care of. The inverse of that proposition is the removal of dead plants that you never wanted and didn't ask for.
Last year, several medium-sized shrubs on the northern edge of the arboretum (near Hamilton Hall's west-facing steps) died back to the ground. These were ornamental shrubs and doubtlessly foreign to the Southeastern United States. We know that they were victims of the unusually cold winter weather we experienced in February 2021. Other than that, we don't know what they were, when they were planted, or how old they were. Recently these eyesores started sprouting back from the base, indicating that although they were not dead, their trunks were no longer viable.
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This was a clump of two shrubs growing closely together.
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All gone!
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This shrub had fairly vigorous regrowth.
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Unfortunately that was not enough to save it.
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This shrub was particularly obnoxious, as it was visible to anyone walking up or down the steps.
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It won't trouble us anymore.
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The larger trunk pieces were cut up and carried away.
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Twigs and branches were piled up to be removed later.
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The area is perhaps a bit bare, but the openness is inviting. We will spend this summer brainstorming on what to plant in this location. Due to the heavy shade cast by neighboring trees, the possibilities are limited to shade-tolerant species. We might choose to keep this space open rather than replanting.
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