A Note from the Office: "Treat Me Right"

Warmer weather serves as a reminder to all of us that we must take care of ourselves. Eat right, get out and exercise, spring cleaning. Out with the old and in with the fresh new season. It is also a reminder that our trees and shrubs need proper treatment as well!

At a Year Round Tree Company we offer full service care for your trees to keep them healthy and beautiful through every season. Have us trim your trees now, remove weakened branches from winter’s wrath, prune deadwood, trim and shape for aesthetics and health.

We also have a full service health program for your trees. We will assess your trees for health and integrity at absolutely no cost (assessments and estimates are always free!), provide disease diagnosis, treatment, licensed pesticide applications and fertilizing. The healthier your trees and shrubs the more enjoyment you have for friends and family and it doesn’t hurt your property value either!


Well maintained properties are desirable. Do you feel like that tree just isn’t going to make it? No problem, just give us a call. With our in-house 23 ton crane and equipment, expert crews and the most attractive pricing, we can safely and efficiently remove the big trees and the small ones, grind the stumps and leave your area clean. Are your trees near wires? Leave them alone and give us a call. We handle all aspects of power outages with the utility company. We will safely care for your tree and have your services restored the same day. So treat your trees and shrubs (and yourself!) right. Call our Experts at A Year Round Tree Expert Company today!

Funny Stuff...

From the Huffingtonpost: "When President Obama attended a tree-planting ceremony in Washington on Tuesday, he made the mistake of wearing dress shoes to work in the mud, a decision he appeared to regret."

When you work outside everyday it sure does tickle your funny bone to see something like this!

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/22/obama-wears-wrong-shoes-t_n_190000.html

Is the Economy Affecting our Love for Trees?

Well now, this is a bit of a downer on what is one of the most exciting days of the year for your local tree expert. (Ok, how many of you know today is Earth Day..and how many more know that this is almost synonymous to Christmas for a tree guy?) We had wondered if the shrinking economy would make us Americans (both people and companies) begin to pull back on helping the environment if it meant digging even farther into our already overstretched pockets... and well, it looks like there are some mixed views.

According to the Arizona Republic, a series of polls that were done in January confirmed our fear, that Americans felt more concern for the economy than the environment. "For the first time in 25 years, people told Gallup they would sacrifice environmental protection for economic growth. The green movement started to look like a luxury, and some of its leaders wondered if it would become another victim of the recession," reports the Arizona Republic.

But it's not all black and white. Even though many of us have begun to worry about bringing in the bread and butter (and who can blame this basic instinct to first preserve yourself in the present), we still haven't forgotten that caring for Mother Nature is also preserving ourselves in the future.

"The environment is an integral part of our survival," says Tia Holmes, Miss Earth Maryland 2009. "If more people were aware of all of the things they could do to help the environment, then it would not have ranked so low on the importance scale [...] Going green in many ways is much cheaper than not."

Thankfully, when your Year Round Tree Expert asks, "is the economy affecting our love for trees?" we can still say for a good many of us that the answer is a resounding no!

Sources:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/04/19/20090419env-attitudes0419.html

http://www.onemotherearth.blogspot.com/

Picture courtesy of Tia Holmes, Miss Earth Maryland 2009.

One Tree Expert that is down for Earth Day!

This Wednesday is Earth Day...and of course you can expect your local Tree Expert to celebrate with you and the millions of others this year too!

We've found some cool things to do around the B-more area (we like to include DC too because of its proximity):

Today, April 19 - DC is holding a HUGE gathering on the National Mall to rally support for national action on global warming. The Celebration begins at Noon and runs until 6:00 p.m. The focus this year is on environmental volunteerism. The event will include a free festival with music, entertainment, speakers and environmental activities.

Wednesday, April, 22 - Baltimore is hosting an event put on by Maryland's Transit Administration (MTA). State and local officials will be in the pavilion area of Power Plant Live in Downtown Baltimore from 11 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The MTA will exhibit a hybrid bus along with other environmentally-friendly information. Demonstrations on the use of MTA’s bus-mounted bicycle racks will be provided throughout the celebration. Enjoy outdoor workshops and live performances at center stage!

And since we're all paperless and online anyway, you should try the Facebook application: Every Day is Earth Day. Look for the GenGreen life logo.

...Just a few more tips from your Year Round Tree Expert;)

Utilities Above & Below

Working closely to power lines is dangerous and utility companies recommend staying at least 10 feet away from power lines during any project. When your trees have grown up into or near the power lines you definitely should not try to maintain them yourself, instead it is recommended that you call a professional. Experts can safely provide maintenance of your trees by contacting the utility company to de-energize wires while pruning, trimming or tree removal is performed.

And the danger isn't only those visible wires overhead, but below the ground too. If you are having a stump removed, a professional tree company will check with the utility company to have the area marked in the case that gas, oil or other utilities may be running underground below the stump.

A special note from the Baltimore Sun:
"April is National Safe Digging Month and the Common Ground Alliance reminds you to call 811, the national call-before-you-dig number, before you break ground on tree planting or any other outdoor projects.

The phone call alerts the utility companies of your intent to dig and they send locators out to your home to mark the underground lines so you don't accidentally strike them and cause serious personal or neighborhood damage. (Think gas explosion). More than 256,000 digging accidents occur in the country every year."

What's in your Backyard?

We're so lucky to have Washington DC's cherry blossoms practically in our backyard! Picture from the Washingtonpost.

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Arbor Day in Maryland & Fun Tree Facts!

Happy Arbor Day Marylanders! It's interesting that each state is slightly different, as they each celebrate this special day on a date of their own choosing (although the majority will celebrate their Arbor Day within the month of April). Maryland is always the first Wednesday in April and we celebrate our state tree, which is the White Oak!

Despite its name, it is not common to find a White Oak with white bark; it is usually gray in color. They are a very broad tree and are often as wide as they are tall. They are one the the first hardwoods of eastern North America and are known to have lived over 600 years. The oldest and largest white oak in the United States stood for more than 460 years in Wye Mills, Maryland and was called the Wye Oak. The Wye Oak was the honaray state tree of Maryland but was destroyed by a thunderstorm in 2002.

Since we're on the topic of old trees -the world's oldest known living tree is a conifer in Sweden that dates back to the end of the last Ice Age.

According to National Geographic, the ancient tree - called a Norway spruce (Picea abies) - sprouted in Sweden's Dalarna province over 9,550 years ago. Researchers found the "shrubby" mountain tree at an altitude of 2,985 feet.

"Though the visible portion of the tree is not as old, parts of the root system were radiocarbon dated to determine its age. Scientists say the Norway spruce's ability to clone itself contributed to the specimen's long lifespan: When one stem dies, another grows from the rootstock," reports National Geographic.

Sources: www.nationalgeographic.com; www.wikipedia.com