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The Apple Tree Next Door

The Apple Tree Next Door

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It’s mid-May, and I’m working in my garden when I hear voices coming from the direction of my neighbor’s apple tree. Peeking over the fence, I see two men with saws and pole pruners. I feel a flutter of apprehension. I’ve seen the carnage that untrained tree trimmers can inflict on a tree, and the lack of safety equipment tells… Read more →


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My 589-Dollar Tree

My 589-Dollar Tree

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When Friends of Trees, Portland’s non-profit tree-planting group, came to my neighborhood in 2017, I scored a beautiful street tree for 35 bucks. I’d wanted two trees, two different varieties, but I could only make my mind up on one—a silver-leaved oak (Quercus hypoleucoides). I considered getting a parrotia for another 35 dollars, but I couldn’t decide if that was… Read more →


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