Driftwood

It takes me so long to upload photos on my old dial-up connection that I miss conversation and sound disjointed, but it's fun to see what's gone on while I'm tied up. Beautiful lily pirl. I'm hoping to use the wood pieces I picked up today kind of like that, to edge a bed. I hadn't thought of it but I bet they would be good protection for things growing up alongside.

Stormy, I haven't been east for many years, but yes, I do remember how many more trees there were...and definitely bigger older ones. Actually, here in central Kansas we do have fairly heavily planted areas and in eastern Kansas where I went to college there are many beautiful wooded areas. I lived out in western Kansas for many years though and really worked to get trees growing. People don't even think of planting them out there sometimes which just seemed bizarre to me, but they probably thought I was nuts running around planting all these sticks in the ground. The cottonwoods are native to the whole state though and can be beautiful big old things. They're pretty fragile when they get old though, so you don't want one hanging over your house. Every late spring we go through 1-2 weeks of cotton, as the seed pods break open and tiny fluffy bits blow on the wind all around. It's messy at times, but actually like late spring snow. The trees are related to Aspen and have the same shiny leaves with a square stalk that almost sparkle when the breeze blows through them, and a beautiful, butter-yellow fall foliage color. Most of us here really do love them.

Willow

And I love the smell of cottonwoods on the first warm days in spring. We have them native here also.

DH and I drove to Cape Cod in '94 in October. It was amazing from Missouri on. Just like someone threw a quilt over the whole country. All the color. We drove down through Missouri and then thur St. Louis up to Indiana to see my aunt and then on to Niagra. We took Hwy, 20 thru New York state and stopped in Cooperstown. All over Cape Cod, clear out to Provincetown. Loved it all. I think we went right thru the middle of Kansas also. Desiduous? trees are much nicer to live under than conifers. This last spring when the firs bloomed we were covered in yellow pollen for weeks.

Willow, Your daughter is just beautiful and a daredevil to boot.

Wow you guys. This has been a wonderful relaxing thread to enjoy on a cloudy day. Thank you so much. I will have to ask around where we might have drift wood here in the southwest. Probably Utah and Idaho. Thank you so much for sharing I do not think there is anythng more beautiful than a great tree dead or alive.

Willowind, That tree is also hugh. Do you know how old it is? Your granddaughter looks so tiny in it. Did you have to lift her up? I looked it up and Cottonwoods are not native here. There was a, now extinct native, the swamp cottonwood, different than your eastern cottonwood. We have 138 native species of trees.

Willowwind2, Last month I was reading about the native trees of Washington. If everything that I read is correct, you have a very small number of native tree species, like 31. Seems very unlikely. Your hugh conifers are magnificent and your photo is lovely.

Super tree, WW! It looks as though the limb that reaches left goes through two vertical pieces of the young tree next to it.

WW2 - we go to Cape Cod every June just to relax after the madness of spring planting of annuals, vegetables, and containers. We love Provincetown but we stay in North Eastham on the Outer Cape. The beaches are works of art even if they don't have driftwood!

Here we have conifers and deciduous trees and it's nice to have both. The pines look so wonderful with a light blanket of snow and I use the pine cones for mulch for our hydrangeas. That must have been a lovely car trip!

stormyla - the little pieces make great landmarks for where specific plants are located.

Cape Cod during pollen week, as you can see by the top of the car and the reflection of the trees on the windshield.

OK, Pirl, Now you'll have me collecting driftwood at the beach. Why not, it will be a nice way to entertain the kiddies I usually go with. Don't know how much driftwood there will be at Cape May in NJ. The central part of NJ has forrests that go right into the ocean like in Maine. But I never go there, although it is very beautiful. Is that gorgeous photo from Southhold or Cape Cod?

I remember reading all of the descriptions of the homes on Oyster Bay in The Great Gatsby.

Cappuccino was the first Asiatic lily that I grew. It looks beautiful against the wood. You ladies would surely chastise me if you saw the 6' long sections of bark that I gave away. They were wide enough and had enough wood left on them to make benches.

Ack! Why did you give it away? That's painful!

The beach and the car are both from Cape Cod.

Some of those homes were more than splendid. I always wondered what they did on the hot and still days of summer when there wasn't even a breeze. Visiting the Gould-Guggenheim estate I noticed a room where the floor and walls were all marble and seating was far from the windows. I guess that was cool enough. I had chills just walking through it!

We honeymooned on Cape May and then Chincoteage...but we weren't looking for driftwood then. My how life changes!

I wish I knew how old the tree was or anything about it but I don't. I know there are couple of old cottonwood bases at my in-laws' farm that are about that big around and are probably around 150 to 175 years old, but that's fairly young as many trees go. Cottonwoods have a good rate of growth if they're by the water. I just haven't seen many alive at that size...especially with such a hole. We did lift Acacia up since she was in church clothes, but she is quite a monkey.

pirl, you're right, it does look like those trees are all wound around each other. Now I'll have to check it out the next time I'm over that way.

Willowwind2, isn't it funny how our memory affects perspective. I have wonderful memories of all the pines, firs and spruces in the Colorado mountains where I lived the first 4 years of my life, especially the smell. Now I miss them as we just don't grow them as well here as deciduous trees. Of course, I'm sure I have no memory, or even took notice of pollen problems like I would now as an adult.

Thanks all for a forrest full of tree thoughts this evening.

Willow

Cottonwoods are not allowed here in Las Vegas. Too much pollen and they go for the water. No water, they break into the sewer or water lines. We actually have many trees that are outlawed because of allergies.

Pirl, I know a gal who hand makes furniture who lives on very modest means. I bought them for next to nothing at a flea market with her in mind.

A marble room would be great for me as I am always hot. Marble House in Newport is like that. Don't you remember the case of Sunny Von Bulow, left to die (or not) on the cold marble bathroom floor in her Newport mansion? I think all of those people were the celebrities of their era. Society folks were always in the papers and the more outlandish their spending, the more the public fascination.

I read the site on the Coe Estate. How incredible to move a 60' Beech and pay for the removal and replacement of the utility poles. Imagine having enough money and an era where you could buy influence to have the city move a road so you could have a better view of your entry way. It was almost sickening to read of such extravagance, but then it was also a testament to the american dream.

Va_Wild_Rose has had a wonderful thread on her two recent trips to Chincoteague in our MidAtlantic Forum.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1055772/

Pirl, Thank you for that Coe Estate link. I'd like to see the gardens and especially hope they will be able to raise some more purple Beeches. I've never seen one.

What a great thread this is.
Sonny von Bullo ahhhhh yes, as a diabetic I always refree to her when the doc wants to increase my insulin.
I still believe her money in her husbands hands is what put her into a coma for many years.
I believe she died but was in a vedg.state for many many years.
He got off and continues to enjoy the good life , unless he has died too.
Great pictures of the Chinquatege.
I used to do business in Maryland and after I was done ,would go there to chill and watch birds.
Its beautiful, hope it doesnt become overdeveloped.

This is a most enjoyable thread
I just returned from a trip to the Keys and this was in a store.
A beautiful chair all out or drift wood.

THey also had this table
I think this could be done on a smaller scale with some of the pieces I have seen here on this thread.

The table is wonderful. The chair needs a certain decore, great for the south.
It looks like a great fine craft gallery

Gus, Those are wonderful. Each would need to be the focal point of the room. They would be fun to work with. The chair looks like it's color and sheen would improve with use and oilings.

THere is a lady here in Indiana who makes these great wall hangings out of driftwood , I think her wood is from the great lakes.
They are named after harbors in Michigan
It is all drift wood except the stairs.

THis one is about 5 ft long.
Sometimes I just stand and stare at all the detail.
I have collected a little bit of drift wood on and off thinking I might attempt a small one some day.

Wow, Gus! Someone has incredible imagination and abilities. I wouldn't want to have to dust all the nooks and crannies on the chair, but the table wouldn't get so bad with the glass cover. Those are truly amazing. Thanks so much for sharing them.

Willow

Gracious, I just saw the big one. I kept thinking it was like a doll house, but for boys. What little boy wouldn't have a ball playing pirates with something like that, although it would have to be carefully monitered to prevent breakage. That really is fantastic.

Willow

Love all of them, I remember seeing a driftwood chair years ago the seat was slung leather with a lambskin throw for extra comfort. I was very modern looking and pricey. But I have never seen anything quite like it since. That table is gorgeous. I can't even imagine the time and talent it takes to make those wall pieces.

I would love the table stand without the glass. That is incredible. See what you started Pirl.

Speaking of rich people and moving roads--I live on Hood Canal and there is a resort on the water at the foot of our hill. Bill Gates has a compound down next to the resort and microsoft money from a VP or something bought the resort a couple of years ago.
The highway used to run right in front of the inn and the parking was across the road. So they moved about a 1/2 mile of it over to get the parking lot on the same side as the Inn. They had to remove part of the hill and ran dump trucks 24 hours a day for a month to get it all to a different spot. They did do wonders for the old inn, but us peons are not so welcome there any longer. ^_^

gardengus - what a talented woman to create such works of art!

The driftwood chairs brought back more Cape Cod memories and I'll show photos on part 2 of this thread, to be created shortly.

I agree that any young boy would have to love the adventure of the Indiana woman's artistic spirit.

Sharon - there's more to come. In view of those on dial-up I'll start Driftwood part 2 and provide the link.

WW2 - Things like that happen all too often.

Here is Driftwood - Part 2:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1059723/