“Back in the day…” (1930 let’s say) our yard looked like this (the houses belonged to our neighbors)
and when we bought the house in 1980 it looked like this…(and the red house is ours)
and now it looks like this…with this addition to the rear of the house from 1995…
and in the east side flower bed all these years has been a lovely dogwood, here in bloom…
Long before we arrived, the original planter of the tree had staked and wired it, and then nobody noticed that wire over the year, so the trunk grew over the wire. In 1981 our neighbor told us to cut down the tree as it would die…but we waited. And sure enough, Phil was right, it died this past fall…33 years after we moved in. So today was the day it was removed. I got up early for a last look…
and then the crew arrived and made short work of it…all those summers of shade, blooms in the spring, color in the fall, graceful branches in the winter, mecca for tiny birds…all gone in under 30 minutes…
PHEW. Time to replant…?
On The Way 
There is something to be said for more sun in our gardens. I am thinking of some interesting trellis with an equally interesting vine. I have tons of gardening books if you are looking for a solution.
Thank you again for your terrific blogs.
I too am losing my Pagoda Dogwood this spring. Golden Canker has been causing the branches and limbs to die. No amount of trimming has saved it. While not as old as yours I will miss it’s graceful presence in my yard.
Your wonderful pictures & the memories can help decrease the pain of loss. Gardens are forever changing. Good luck.
bonnie, we missed your blog while car shopping in the north corner of paradise. this is a sad post. while certainly something new will happen in your garden that will delight your eye, losing a dear friend is never without sorrow.
Think of what that tree has seen. It was lucky to be with you for so long.
Trees are truly living, breathing presences in our lives. I find myself grieving about loss of trees that aren’t even on my own property. We lost a beautiful, graceful pink dogwood after 20 years, that was planted by John as a memorial to his mother. Now I find myself faceing the possible cutting down of a very large fir tree by the driveway. Even with good reason, it is difficult to see that particular life end. Sorry for the demise of your lovely dogwood.
you posted a beautiful tribute to your dogwood…am sorry about your loss. Am sure all the other trees, plants and little animals will miss it too.
Oh dogwoods are lovely and yours graced that yard for a long time. If you replant please share the species.