Why do landscaping companies hate trees? Every time I see the trucks come onto the island I fear for our palms and gumbo limbos, our banyans and tabebuias. Not to mention my aesthetic pleasures and quality of life.
Yesterday two trucks arrived and, unfortunately, I had to leave for a dermatologist’s appointment. When I returned, it was to a sun-drenched kitchen. The four palms outside our balcony – which had grown to produce a green wall of fronds protecting us not only from the sun but a view of the parking lot – had been reduced to spindly sticks. (None of the deleted fronds came close to touching our railing, so building safety was not a concern.) Afternoon reading on the balcony, and al fresco dinners, were gone with the buzz saw. Unless I wanted more visits to the dermatologist.
Looking on the Internet, I found articles about palm trees. All of them stated that massive trimming of healthy fronds could be harmful to the tree. So the landscaping company’s overzealousness was more than senseless, it was potentially detrimental. Furthering its contributions to the environment is the fact that we will now expend more energy on air-conditioning.
