19Mateo83
Masterpiece
I collected this elm February 11th 2023. It came from an area that was once a dairy farm that had been allowed to grow over. The area was special to me because for the last 25 years I had free rein to 4 wheel, camp and hike watch wildlife and whatever else I wanted to do on the 1000+ acre track of land. When I found that it was in the initial stages of being cleared for a neighborhood I wanted to save a piece of it. I collected several smaller winged elms that day but this one spoke to me. Its shape and form reflected what wildlife and mother nature can do with a tree in 17 years, that’s how long it had been since the dairy shut down. Now it begins its new life as a bonsai, this is its journey.
Here is where the old farmhouse used to sit, it was sad to see the 100 year old pecan trees cut and thrown on the slash pile.
This was what was left of the old farm road to the fields, the walk that was normally relaxing and full of birds chirping was almost sickening this day.
The small clearing I found my elm in was just past where the previous days logging activities had ended. It was all alone in the center of the clearing that was flanked by winged elms, crabapple and wild plum.
I ended up also collecting quite a few other elms while I was there. I figured it would be a shame for ALL of these to get bulldozed.
Here is where the old farmhouse used to sit, it was sad to see the 100 year old pecan trees cut and thrown on the slash pile.
This was what was left of the old farm road to the fields, the walk that was normally relaxing and full of birds chirping was almost sickening this day.
The small clearing I found my elm in was just past where the previous days logging activities had ended. It was all alone in the center of the clearing that was flanked by winged elms, crabapple and wild plum.
I ended up also collecting quite a few other elms while I was there. I figured it would be a shame for ALL of these to get bulldozed.
. I have only collected maybe 8-12 trees in my life, but I live only about an hour and 15 minutes from you and I know we have a lot of cold weather to come. I assume you will shuffle these all winter in and out from the cold. I am seeing a lot of people doing deep winter collecting-- I have a large unheated space in my basement/crawlspace. Is it better to collect in spring when the buds start moving, or if you protect is from freezing, do you and others have good success with trees waking up in the spring with that same stored energy? I do recognize if a bulldozer is coming through its now or never, and sometimes timing is just not there in March/April, but I am curious if I have always just been overly cautious or if that spring window is the true ideal time?