My wife had a 70 yo pine tree cut down 5 years ago. I was not in favor, but my vote got vetoed! Ever since, I've had a little more sun to plant in, but the electric bill has been much more in the hot months - it was on the west side of the house and shaded the house well. Have on very old hackberry that is dying and when I take it down, I might have 2 square feet more of sun. It's on the north fence.
There was a community garden like 4 or 5 blocks away. I did have one box in it - for grins. But then the area got gentrified and the newbie hipsters decided they did not want a community garden but a (very short) walking trail - sorta dog park, and successfully lobbied someone in guvment to get it banned. More or less came in overnight and dozed it without warning. I had a number of fig trees for study and several tools and a wheelbarrow- gone. Kinda ticked me off. Then an antebellum home and 65 acres, a couple of blocks away, was (sorta) donated to the city - actually in a Land Trust. It had been used as a hospital during the Battle of Nashville. The original plan was to allow neighbors and master gardeners to grow things to be donated away. As well as a place I could put a few beehives. Well, I guess that wasn't sexy enough - so they turned the garden area over to a chef who used it to grow veggies for his restaurant. He was out there himself hoeing and stuff and welcomed volunteers of which I was one, but that did not last long as a famous old restaurant in a famous historic hotel decided they wanted it to grow heirlooms for their entirely too expensive restaurant - and well we lost out again. Then there was talk of growing a fruit demonstration garden. I started with some plans - some mighty fine plans and ideas, I must say - part food producing, part demonstration and part experimental with fruit and ways to grow them that you don't see often, especially around here. But then again some sexy brewery decided it would be good to grow hops - so alcohol won out - sexier I guess. First there were going to be bees and I and a couple of friends were gonna tend them and bottle the honey for sale at the house. Then they decided against bees as they did not want anyone stung. Then a couple of years later, I guess it was ok for a distillery to raise a few hives of bees for use in their product. Guess those bees wouldn't sting anyone. The people running this property were rather young women and "men" and I guess they did not like my politics. So many mornings and evenings as I drive by - I salute them with pride and one digit. This city is the people in charge are rather obtuse - and if you don't remember your geometry - an obtuse angle is not all that sharp.
