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| Garden on the left, barn in the background, giant walnut tree on the right. |
My neighbor on one side has a huge walnut tree. It was originally planted almost 90 years ago, and as far as I can tell, people have been complaining about it for at least the last 30 years. Three different families have lived in that house since we've been here, and all of us hate the tree for different reasons. The biggest reason is the walnuts themselves. They have dented and stained my neighbor's white car; they are messy and there are hundreds (if not thousands) of them. I have to spend too much time picking up the ones that have fallen on our lawn (bushel baskets full!) before I mow. Walnut trees contain juglone in the leaves, roots, bark, and the nuts themselves, which is unfortunately toxic to many plants, like the ones growing in the garden we have planted nearby. I've offered to share the cost of cutting down the tree that nobody likes with each of the families that has lived next door, but it's still here, dropping nuts to taunt me.
We've got our own nuts from two big oaks in our yard. They don't cause many issues beyond clogging the gutters. Now that acorns are dropping (and this is a big year for them) I've been cleaning out the gutters weekly, and shaking my fist at the squirrels who seem to deliberately throw them down on me.
My neighbor on the other side has balls instead of nuts. He has a sweetgum tree right next to our driveway, and while the leaves are prettily star-shaped, the spiky seed pod balls are a nuisance. The tree is laden with green ones right now, but they will be drying and falling soon. That means it's time for me to get out my gloves and snow shovel to clear them off of the driveway.
So welcome fall, welcome nuts and balls!
I keep thinking I should have a witty comment about nuts and balls but I can't come up with something appropriate. LOL
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughter played with some walnuts and her mother, my daughter, didn't know they could stain. I was flabbergasted. I get so worried the next generations isn't going to know some standard common nature lessons. I have lived rurally most of my life and give them many instances of the "olden" life, ya-ya, we live in the boonies they say!
ReplyDeleteOh well, I love the sweet-gum tree also, but then I don't have to deal with them!
Have fun.
I probably picked up >100 walnuts yesterday when I mowed and my hands are definitely stained today. Several years ago I gave a bunch to a friend that wanted to try natural dyeing, but she didn't want five or 6 bushel baskets full. My neighbors are nice people, I just don't like the massive numbers of walnuts and sweetgum balls!
DeleteThe sweet gum trees are pretty...but hate those "balls" that come with them. That's a lot of extra work with all you have raining down on you. Have a wonderful weekend -- hoping it won't get as hot as predicted.
ReplyDeleteWe lived in a house for a long time that had lots of oak trees. Acorn projectiles made fall a risky time to be outside. But, the squirrels just loved it!
ReplyDeleteWe have a walnut tree in the back yard and it is certainly a nuisance! Right now, there are nuts dropping on the roof -- above our bedroom -- and rolling off... sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes in the early morning. GAH!! I've used the nuts for dyeing yarn, and it is a pretty color. (A fair bit of work, though.)
ReplyDeleteI love this post. We have walnut trees on the walk and I hope that I do not get hit by one....glad they are not on my driveway and denting cars! Frequently one lands before or after we pass by-----so lucky!!
ReplyDeleteAh, nature! You are right, this has been a bumper year for acorns. We got a lot of rain earlier this year, so I wonder if that is why we have so many. Walnuts are a total nuisance. You have my sympathy. We have 5 very old oak trees that make a mess with acorns, leaves, and gall balls. And my neighbor on one side has a magnolia that drops those seed pods that are like missiles if you run over one with the lawn mower. My neighbor on the other side has pecan trees, which also make a mess, but not as big a mess as walnut trees. So, you have me beat, Bonny! Autumn is my favorite time of the year, but it does involve a lot of mess that must be raked up. And, at least I don't have a lot of snow and ice where I live, so there's that. I hope you have a fabulous weekend. I have started Forest Dark; so far, it's interesting.
ReplyDeleteI just re-read my post, and thought maybe I really shouldn't be complaining so much about nature. Yes, there are a lot of leaves to rake, and acorns, walnuts, and sweetgum balls to clean up, but my sister-in-law often tells me that I should be glad that am physically able to do that and enjoy my time outside. I can do that some times (but too often I'd rather be sitting in my chair reading or knitting)!
DeleteMe, too, I would almost always rather be reading or knitting in my chair. But I am fit for my age, and I am very lucky to be able to do these kind of chores. I try to remind myself of that, but it is easy to take our own abilities for granted. We should both be mindful and try to enjoy the fall weather if it ever gets here. It is still so hot here.
DeleteI've been lucky and not lived a near a walnut tree, they sound a bit of a nightmare to say they least, that is a lot of picking up to do etc. Your other neighbours tree looks really pretty though, when we moved in here one neighbour had fir trees all down her garden on our side and they are a pain but nowhere near as bad as a walnut tree!
ReplyDeleteThe trees may be lovely and offer your neighborhood a fair amount of shade. That would be hard change so much about the look of your area and may not be appealing to your neighbors. My only experience with "trash" was the walnut tree my parents complained about when I was a kid. The amount of work you're doing to keep up with all three trees seems quite daunting (and time consuming)!
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