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  • From: Anna Ingre <ingreab@comcast.net>
  • To: gardenwriters-on-gardening <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [gwl-g] Gary Oak
  • Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 00:01:09 -0700

Hello


Would someone please advise me on how to replant beneath a large Gary Oak.  This wonderful oak, probably about 150 years old, sits amid a concrete lake on the front west side of my garden.  My neighbor to the west believes that legislation should be enacted to forbid trees to drop their leaves in autumn.  Fortunately, I been able to have the tree designated a Heritage Tree, and no one can touch it without the City Forester's permission.

To the east of the oak, is a patch, about 200-250 sq. feet which holds a very very weedy Pulmonaria.  This looks beautiful for about 5 minutes in May when it blooms with blue and pink flowers.  Unfortunately, if there is a strong rain, it lies flat and looks like a bear or deer bed.  I would like to dig it up - it has long taproots that resprout from the tiniest piece, spread thick newspaper and cover with a thick compost/mulch.  Afterwards, I want to scatter species crocus, plant some kind of Oxalis and other ground covers that will take dry shade.

My front garden is the only non concrete area around the oak, and I don't want to do it any damage.  It has already had a shelf fungus on the lower part of the trunk, though there does not seem to be any rot obvious in the rest of the tree.  Does anyone know if this kind of process will be damaging to the Oak.  The Pulmonaria will need to be  removed for several years, to actually get rid of it.

Thanks

Anna Ingre



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