This year we had to say goodbye to an old friend.  The huge tulip tree in our backyard died last year and we had to take it down.  We planted that tree the first year that we moved into our home 28 years ago.  It started as a twig and it grew into a beautiful but massive shade tree.  Our kids and family grew up under the shade of that tree and it was really hard to finally let it go.

This is one of the hard facts of gardening.  Sometimes your plants will get sick and die.  They will outgrow the spots you planted them in.  Or a huge windstorm will blow them down.  Trees and shrubs do not live forever.  So then you have to rethink your garden and decide how you will deal with the change.

Change is a good thing.  It can bring new life to your garden and open up new possibilities.  Removing that tulip tree has given us more sunshine in our yard so more opportunities to include sun-loving plants.  Here are some of the benefits of change as we experience garden set-backs.

3 Benefits Of Change In Your Garden

1.  Having to change your garden opens up opportunities to grow new plants or create new garden areas.

When you have to remove a beloved tree or shrub, your first idea might be to immediately replace it.  Before you do that, take some time to really think about what you would like in your garden.  Your needs can change over time and there might be better options today.  Make a list of the pros and cons of replanting that tree or shrub.  Take the time to plan what you want to fill in that empty space with.  When we first planted that tulip tree we had no shade in our backyard.  Now our backyard is a shady oasis, completely surrounded by incense cedar and pines.  We don’t need the shade as much but actually benefit from the increased sunshine.

2.  When you have to change one thing, it can motivate you to work on other areas as well.

When it comes to our yards and garden, many of us put our plants in and think we are done.  But then a plant will become overgrown or it will stop flowering.  And so we just live with these bad plants.  When we are forced to make a change it can have a domino effect.  It helps us to see that sometimes we don’t have to wait for a tree to die to make changes.  If that shrub has become overgrown maybe it’s time to give it a major pruning.  Maybe if the plant doesn’t flower anymore it’s time to take it out.  I think about this every year when my Lilac only gives me a handful of blooms.

3.  Change in your garden can get you out of a rut.

Are you gardening on autopilot?  Doing the same things in the same way in your garden, year after year?  Whether you are forced to change or you just decide that you want to make some improvements, this is a good time to get motivated to do something differently.  Planting new things in your garden and rearranging your outdoor living areas can be good for you.  When you see things in new ways it can change your perspective and inspire you to be willing to continue the process of change.  Would we have taken the tulip tree out if it hadn’t died?  Probably not.  But now, since it is gone, we can see the yard and garden in a whole new way.

Getting started is often the hardest part.  It took us about 9 months to decide that the tree had to come down and then actually remove it.  Once you make a decision to change something in your garden, just take a small step toward making the change.  Visit a nursery.  Get bids on tree removal.  Take a garden tour to see what might be possible.  As you move forward the process will snowball and before you know it the tree or plant will be removed and you can move on with your new plans.

Removing the tulip tree was sad for us because it held a lot of memories.  But as we adjust to the change we can explore new and wonderful possibilities for our yard and garden.  Over time the ground up roots will start to disappear and new grass will take it’s place.  And our yard will move on to something fresh and new.