Let this be a lesson...

I'm not sure how this happened, but my computer seemed to have dropped one of the images from Longwood. I was able to retreive it, but this isn't what this story is about.

About three years ago, at a local nursery, I found this scrawny, little weeping hemlock, looking so sad in the dump area. I inquired about it and it was sold to me for 75% off. I knew nothing about the weeping hemlock and was told that they don't get more than 10 feet tall and were very slow growing. Well, that was simply perfect! I wanted to plant it near my well and needed something that wasn't overbearing.

While we were at Longwood Gardens we saw a mature weeping hemlock. I stood there and stared at this thing. The nursery had been right. About 10 feet tall; this one was maybe 12 feet. Close enough. Slow growing too. According to the information on the plaque this one was nearly 100 years old. OK, no problem there. But what the nursery failed to mention was that the tree gets 50 feet wide!!!!!! Oh, my Lord, I've got to move my weeping hemlock!
The moral of this story is that you can't always believe what you're told in a nursery either. They either didn't know that it had such a spread or they failed to mention it. Now I have to find another place for this little tree. There's no rush to move it since it is so tiny right now and grows ¼ inch tops a year.

I've had mine for three years now and other than looking a little fuller, it's not much larger than it was when I found it. I figure I need to find another home for it in the next 5 to 10 years (hopefully sooner) before it gets large enough to become a danger to my well.

I like this little tree and really want to keep it. I will find a home for it. I will. I will.