When I was a little girl, we lived at my Grandfather's house for several years. He had the biggest, most beautiful weeping willow tree in his yard. I loved that tree ~ that just might have been when my deep love for trees started. I never forgot that tree and I always wanted one.This summer, we planted a weeping willow tree in the back yard. It was thriving and I was very happy about that.
The deer never bothered it.
Until last night.
Last night they decided to snack on THE WILLOW TREE!
Looking at the picture, there was another large branch off to the left - gone. They stripped the main trunk of its bark, and they pretty much shredded the entire bottom of all its small branches.
I guess I am partly to blame. I haven't sprayed the plants for over a month now ~ I was spraying all the plants, flowers, and the willow tree all summer. I didn't want to lose that tree. ): Since the flowers are pretty much done, I stopped spraying thinking the deer wouldn't munch on the half-dead, twiggy stuff - completely forgot about the willow tree with its little, tempting leaves that were still hanging on. Also, I didn't think about the fact that if they are hungry enough, they will try to eat just about anything. I don't know if it will make it now ~ I will go out and tend to it, leave it in the ground for the winter, and see how it looks next spring.
Sad.
4 comments:
Deer are so destructive!! So sad to loose any plant to them. Some say "Well, they have to eat." I say "Let them eat cake, er, I mean somewhere else".....
Love,
Marilyn
LOL! Well, at least you made me laugh about it, Marilyn.
Actually, they are pretty nervy. They have a whole woods 15 feet away from the willow and they can eat everything in there, so why pick on my willow tree?
Or, I have been down the deer-eating-everything route and spent countless hours spraying coyote pee on trees, shrubs, etc. (I wonder who the lucky soul is that gets to collect THAT???)
I lost my three full grown willows to an ice storm this past year, just before starting the blog. I cried. I had babied them, gone out the first year in an ice storm with a hairdrier getting the ice off them, kept them smelling horrible to keep the deer away and was reveling in their full beauty.
Then wham.....one night of Indiana weather, end of trees.
I feel for you.......
XXOO!!
Anne
Anne, I used to use Deer-Off. Useless! Bought new stuff this year called Liquid Fence - great stuff - had NO problem with the deer eating anything that I had sprayed. Only had to spray once a month - it bonds to the plants and even the rain doesn't wash it off. A little more expensive, but well worth it. I guess I should have kept spraying. I've learned my lesson. I love the deer, but this makes me angry.
So sorry about your willows - I would have cried, too. To lose full grown ones - now we're talking REALLY sad. ):
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