Our Little Elsie

When my neighbor's wife died, he went into an old folks home and when his family cleaned out his home to sell it they brought over all of her pottery for gardening. I would see Mrs. Elsie work on her carport many times with those pots, taking cuttings and creating new trees from the ones she had growing in her yard already. One of the pots had a tree growing in it (almost 2 ft tall). It was pretty and since it was a reminder of Mrs. Elsie I just kept it on my gardening table outside. Eventually it grew fuller and I thought I would plant it in memory of her. I planted it in the front yard on the edge of my property to provide a little more privacy between the road and our yard. I called it my little 'Elsie". I didn't know what type of tree it was but I have now identified the tree! It is a black mulberry just like the one I have in my back yard that my girls enjoy the berries from every year. It is nice to know that our little 'Elsie' is here to provide shade and fruit for years to come. Do you have a tree you'd like to identify? Here are a couple of links that can help you. Visit What Tree Is It? or The Arbor Day Foundation.

UPDATE: (December 2016) Our little Elsie is no longer little. She's almost as tall as the power lines at the front of our property. She bears much fruit, provides perfect shelter and for nesting birds, and wears Christmas lights in December. She provides added privacy to our front lawn as I hoped she would when I planted her. <3

#gardening #mulberrybush #rememberingneighbors