On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 13:22:48 -0500, woj product
wrote:

Hey, all.

I'm in Eastern Minnesota - this past November I bought my first house
& am now just starting to get the landscaping in order.

It's got a magnificent, mature maple tree in the backyard. Right now
it's got a 3 foot high "flowerbox" around all sides, circling the
entire trunk (timbers in an octogon shape, filled with dirt, planted
w/ hostas). The flowerbox thing has been on there for years, I'm
sure.

A part of me wants to get rid of the flowerbox to solve two things,
#1. give me a little bit more yard space, and #2 make the landscaping
look more natural, and less "old lady-ish"

I don't want to damage this tree, and am a little worried that
exposing the bottom 3 feet of trunk that had been previously covered
would not be good for the tree.

Perhaps by removing this flowerbox course by course from the top down
with plently of time between layers would be less shocking to the
tree.

Any thoughts, advice, warnings?

Yesterday I removed the flowerbox container and gently removed the
dirt that was in it, freeing the tree from it's hideous cage.

Whoever installed this thing put gravel in the bottom, plastic
sheeting around the inside of the container, and piled the dirt right
up against the trunk of the tree. I would imagine that a few more
years like this would have really damaged this tree.

For now, I think it's going to be ok. I made sure not to gouge the
bark as I removed the dirt, and the previously buried bark looks
pretty solid, not rotted away.

Not to get too metaphysical - but when I was all done I did put my
hand on the tree and told it that I hoped it would be ok. Can't hurt,
right?