Little Trees and Happy Birthday to Me!

These days, I am so happy to be welcoming trees into my life. Trees! They're great! And this tree is really special as I looked everywhere and no one had one and boy have I craved one since that chance sighting last year. You will remember:

I became so obsessed with this roadside charmer... a Dr. Suess tree to be sure! (Ours will grow to be as tall and narrow and spectacular as this one.) But they're not easy to come by, especially if you don't have six or seven hundred dollars to spend on trees. Not to mention, how on earth do you get it home? So at every nursery and garden center I visited this year (and they are legion!) I inquired. No one had one and I was starting to think my birthday present was going to be delayed until next spring. (Next spring? Really? What?! What kind of patience do I have??!) But the other day at work, I emailed Bob and told him to call a nursery that I pass on my way to work. Lo and behold, they had one- and in our price (and size!) range. Happy birthday to me and a big wet sloppy thank you to Bob, who understands a woman who loves trees!
Here's another wonderful tree that our good friend Bob (a different Bob) found for me. We have been traveling to nurseries together (enablers) and I kept pointing out the pointy trees. So Bob calls me form a flea market and says, "They've got a nice tree like those ones you're always looking at- and reasonably priced!" So home that specimen came, a weeping Norway Spruce or Picea abies.

See? I'm smiling in this picture, too! Different variety, different contrapposto and totally cool. This one looks like the broom that Mickey Mouse used in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".
And another good friend, John (who is- need I say?- another incredible gardener) gave us a white pine that he started from seed. Very fluffy and a different character all together but we have the space for an individual like this that will grow quite large.

(Gotta love the weeds growing up through our deck, huh?) So I prepared Bob for next year by telling him that next year I want an entire apple orchard. Hahahaha. At least everyone knows what to get me.