Why are some people so stupid?

16 years ago

Okay, I am not trying to slam anyone here, but recently I have noticed some stupidity when it comes to the location of some trees in our town.

There is an older shopping center that was recently updated with the addition of planting beds in the parking lot where they put trees. It will be nice when the trees get bigger since they'll provide some much needed shade to various parking areas. They also fixed up the main corner where the shopping center sign is located. There is a nice bed with some low growing nandinas and begonias (could have been a little more original). But the stupid thing they did was plant a live oak right next to the shopping center sign and directly under power lines! What was that landscape architect thinking? Did he or she even come out to look at the property before doing the design?

It must have been the same person who had live oaks put in on a busy street on the west side of our town right under more power lines.

Another thing I have noticed is people who plant large shade trees in that itty bitty little strip of dirt between the sidewalk and street. First they didn't consider the mature size of the tree that will cause the sidewalk to buckle or the inability to drive on that side of the street because they don't take the time to trim up the lower branches. Yes, we have that situation on our street - two live oaks hanging low over the street. I've seen this in other places in town too.

Another thing I saw was where someone planted a couple crape myrtles in that hell strip as some people call it. Crape myrtles aren't so bad there, but when they're planted right in front of a school zone sign, it becomes a huge problem for drivers during the school year.

Speaking of crape myrtles - how about those people who plant tall growing crape myrtles under the eaves of their single story homes? I don't even need to go there.

I think people need to take some time to think before planting trees. They need to consider the mature size of the tree, the space available, obstacles such as powerlines and also nearby street signs.

Does anyone else notice these things in your town or city? And, do you wonder if that particular person who did the planning had their head somewhere dark? ;-)

Comments (7)

pjtexgirl
16 years ago
Same issues here in Benbrook TX,Simi Valley, CA and the Antelope Valley,CA. I think it's a wide spread thought,"I wont be here when this turns into a problem". Usually the person thinking it is right. PJ
jolanaweb
16 years ago
Denise, we bught our house from a landscape architect, except for the Bradford Pears all trees were planted about 6' from the foundation.

The Natchez Crape we have to keep trimming away from the roof. I was able to move the smaller ones but that one was too big. The only other landscaping they had here was green boxes all around the house, which I am slowly getting rid of, lol

I see the things you have mentioned all over the place and I do believe their head is somewhere dark

Although I have to say there are some good things lately, there is one median off of Parmer close to Samsung in Austin that has Knockout roses, they are huge and were beautiful through the last two year drought. I guess some are wising up
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sally2_gw
16 years ago
I've seen the same thing, Denise. In Dallas, they've planted red oaks right under power lines. On my drive home I have to pull out a bit too far at one stop sign just so I can peek around a Rose of Sharon that someone planted just so it blocks the view of on coming traffic. I want to go out there in the middle of the night and trim it back. ... Not- I'm too chicken to really do that.

PJ, you are so right that people have that mentality of "I won't be here when it gets too big, anyway." I hear that all the time. It just irks me that the cities do the same thing, so we get hit twice in the pocket book. First, to pay for the initial landscaping, the secondly when they have to go in and butcher the trees to keep them away from the power lines.

Sally
rick_mcdaniel
16 years ago
Hey, I see those things all the time. While I may admit to not haivng a perfect plan, I tried to be sure to place my plantings, where they would fit well into the type of landscape I wanted.

On the other hand, I have seen in my neighborhood, crepe myrtles 2 ft. from the foundation, vitex in a side yard 10 ft. wide, pampas grass used as a front foundation planting (since removed), and a host of other poor choices in placement, for various plants.

My builder resented that I wanted my live oak, farther from the house, than they usually plant them.
denisew
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh, now builders - there's another story. We built our house we're in now. The builder only put shrubs in front of the house. We planted our own trees. Then someone moved in a couple doors down who works for the city. City ordinance says the builder must provide a tree in each front yard, so they came back with the sickest bunch of trees and plunked them down in the front of each house. They didn't add one to our yard since we already had trees planted. At least four of those trees had borers in them when they were planted and were since replaced. I remember looking at these trees thinking they were the worst looking trees I've seen - not in good shape at all. Some of them have filled out and have become nice looking trees. Builders really don't get the landscaping part at all. They just plunk a bunch of shrubs in across the front and call it "beautifully landscaped." I don't think they put in more than $200.

There is a neighborhood here in Allen that has some nice looking Knockout roses. They look great. I just hope they don't treat them like annuals and rip them out in the fall!
carrie751
16 years ago
Well, if they do, Denise, be there to pick them up. I have some beautiful lantana and salvia that I picked up where they had ripped them out to put in "fall" plants --- they just don't get it, do they?????
denisew
Original Author
16 years ago
Carrie, I almost stopped a few years ago near a park entrance where the city was pulling out some mealycup sage. They had two huge bags of the stuff! I didn't stop because I had to get my boys someplace at the time. Then the following year our city hired an urban forester who is also in charge of the landscaping across town. She is more likely to leave those perennials in their place and let her staff just maintain them rather than replacing them. At least she has a good head on her shoulders when it comes to gardening.