Last year, the tree in my back yard where the ashes of my wife, her daughter and Snickers now rest was attacked by an infestation called bark scale. Little white aphid-like bugs crawled all over the bark resulting in a black mold that coated the branches. It made the trunk and branches black. It destroyed all of the flower buds, making them look like burnt popcorn and resulting in the budding of only a single flower last summer.
I feared the tree might not make it.
This infestation hit many of the crepe myrtles throughout my neighborhood. The recommended treatment is a toxic insecticide which I refuse to use. I won’t expose myself nor my dogs to that kind of poison.
Although I was saddened to see the tree in such bad shape last summer, I decided to wait and see if it bounced back this year. If it didn’t, I would consider cutting the tree down and replacing it.
I chose this tree and location for my wife’s ashes deliberately. The thought that the tree might die just a few years later never entered my head. After all, I’ve seen crepe myrtles thriving all over Raleigh.
I am happy to report that the tree has bounced back this year. See photo below.
It makes me smile when I see the flowers. It reminds me that my “girls” are all together. I always feel a little wistful missing their presence and the love we had. But, I like think that they would have approved of this final resting place together.
I miss all of them and will always love them. Much like the tree though, my heartbreak at losing each of them has healed with time.
