SEPT 2019
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We’ll Be There in the Morning A few weeks ago, I got a call from a homeowner. Their 90-year-old maple tree had given way in a storm, and the result was a massive, 70-foot branch laying across their backyard. I knew from the description that it was time to get to work. to fall. Whether it’s in four years, four months, or four weeks, if there’s weakness, it’s going to give way. A nor’easter may roll through, or it might only take a windy day for the tree to crack. When that happens, there’s not a moment to lose. Our crew is there right away when we get a call.
Our Rapid Response to Storm Damage
When I arrived at the house to assess the damage, I saw that the cables installed to support the tree had broken. There was some dieback in the crown and rot down to the joints where the tree leaders came together. It was structurally weakened, and the situation was a higher risk than I anticipated. For a couple getting ready to sell their home, this situation was far from ideal. Fortunately for this homeowner, the branch fell away from their house. If it had toppled differently, the branch may have had enough power to crash through and structurally weaken their home — I’ve seen it happen before. In this case, though, the only thing harmed was a bush in the backyard. Anytime I’m assessing a tree for risk and I notice structural weakness, I consider the timeline of what could happen. When a tree is weakened, it’s not a question of if but when that tree is going
The reality is that our New England trees are old, and this is both a blessing and a risk. We have beautiful, dignified, old maple and oak trees lining our avenues. They add value to our neighborhoods, but, in some cases, they also cause danger. A weakness may not be visible, but underneath the bark, the wood has often sheared, and the tree gives way internally, causing rot that poses a threat to everything in its circumference. These are also known as stress cracks, and only a certified arborist can identify them. Especially during the height of storm season, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of hiring a certified, experienced arborist to come assess your trees. As thunderstorms kick up in the hot weather and the jet stream changes pattern in September, bringing our nor’easters, the wind comes back around and creates circular storms with 60-mph winds, tornadoes, and hurricane remnants off the coast. In fact, we’re due for another tropical storm any year now. Since 2011, I’ve participated in storm cleanup in Connecticut, from helping out after the October 2011 ice storm to assisting after a recent tornado on Cape Cod. I’ve
seen the seven major types of storm cleanups: hurricane, lightning strike, tornado, ice storm, blizzard, flooding thunderstorm, and winds. I’ve seen most of what a storm can do. While I don’t enjoy seeing property damaged, I do get a thrill from the quick response and action needed in these situations, and I like the sense of duty and the technical strategy involved in storm cleanup. I’m very experienced with this type of damage, and I know that in these situations, you need an honest, objective contractor. You can’t wait. When a homeowner calls us, I make sure I can be there by the next morning at the latest to secure the situation. Right now, we have three crews at the ready for storm season. We’re prepared to protect your interests, and we know the best cure is prevention, so call for an arborist assessment today. –Andrew Bachman
AndrewBachman, certifiedArborist andownerofTroutBrookLandscapingLLC onTalcottRoad inWestHartford. LANNY NAGLER PHOTO
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AN EARLY AMERICAN STORY OF OUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION The Mighty White Pine Tree
If you enjoyed this story and have questions about your trees, give us a call, and we can set up a meeting with our arborist.
phases if you have a large space, or call in the help of a professional. This should include sealing up vents, electrical outlets, and garden-hose bibs — basically any location where cables or pipes go through the wall — to protect your home from the wind and moisture. This may help prevent mold and mildew, as well. In vulnerable places, use high-quality, urethane-based caulk to ensure no water can get through. If you’re a business owner, many of these same steps should also be followed to safeguard your business. You might call in the support of neighbors or your team members to carry out some of these tasks. Then, you can reciprocate and help them do the same for their home. Coming into storm season, it’s also a good idea to review your insurance policies and find out what’s covered in the event of a big storm. Your policy may have some additional suggestions for how you can properly prepare. The king’s proclamation caused major conflict with the colonists, who also used white pines for lumber to build their houses. Lumbermen caught harvesting white pine were detained and fined by the British, so the White Pine Act caused heavy resentment among the colonists. In 1772, the Pine Tree Riot was one of the first violent sparks of the American Revolution, occurring before the Boston Tea Party. In fact, the first revolutionary flag had a white pine in the upper left corner. After the war, New England’s mast industry continued until all old-growth forests were exhausted. The 1950s saw a resurgence of interest in white pines as hedgerows, bushes planted as borders between newly built houses, became popular. Over time, those hedges were not pruned and became tall trees. Unfortunately, white pines were never intended to be yard trees because branches grow twisted and weak in direct wind. In their protected forest setting, they will grow tall and straight. From a valuable resource for naval power to a majestic but dangerous yard tree, the eastern white pine is an integral part of the American story. 3. SEAL YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR.
As we approach storm season on the East Coast, there are some important steps you can take to protect your home. While many whims of Mother Nature are unpredictable, one thing you can control is the potential threat certain areas of your home pose during a storm. A good place to start is with your backyard. Take inventory and determine what may become dangerous in high winds and rain. Then, take action and get those areas into shape! 1. REMOVE WEAK BRANCHES AND TREES. This should be your top priority going into storm season. Weakened or dead trees and branches pose a serious threat to your home. You never know when they’ll fall, or in what direction. Call a certified arborist to help with tree removal and always use caution around weakened trees. In the 1600s, harvesting pines for British shipbuilding was a very lucrative business for American colonists, but it was brutal work with only axes and oxen. Typically, eight men would work as a crew to fell a 200-foot tall white pine, cut limbs manually by ax, and tow the trunk with oxen to a river, where it was floated down to the shipbuilding yards. The English navy’s dominant power in the 1600s and 1700s rested in its ability to have the tallest masts on their war ships. And no other wood in the world served this purpose as well as that of the eastern white pine, which reaches the height and flexibility needed for massive British men-of- war masts. Britain’s high seas dominance and the spread of English-language culture was therefore directly dependent on the white pine. In 1691, to protect its interests, England’s parliament passed the first White Pine Act, decreeing all mast-worthy white pines in the Colonies as the king’s trees. Surveyors were employed to troll the forests and mark all white pines over 24 inches in diameter with the king’s mark of the “broad arrow.”
Here are three easy ways you can reach us.
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Call at (860) 888-8472
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Email at TroutBrookTree@gmail.com
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Text at (860) 999-4630
In addition to tree services, we install native Connecticut gardens and trees with sustainability and site conditions, like sun, wind, and soil, in mind. Our master gardener will walk the property and propose designs based on your existing home, landscape, color preferences, and budget. If you are in the market for tree services or a garden, call Andrew Bachman, certified arborist and owner at (860) 999-4630 or Susan Potter, designer and master gardener at (860) 305-8762.
3 WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR BACKYARD FOR STORM SEASON
2. REPLACE GRAVEL OR ROCK LANDSCAPING WITH BARK.
Bark is lighter than gravel and rock, and, in a storm, it will wreak less havoc on nearby structures. Make this swap in
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TAKE A BREAK
It doesn’t always take a master architect to create a breathtaking home. Some homeowners have shunned suburban domiciles and, with a little artistic vision and a lot of determination, built homes that capture their identities. Quirky, meticulously constructed, and always unique, here are a few of the world’s wackiest homes designed, and sometimes built, by their owners. FREEDOM COVE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA When someone says they live on the water, they probably don’t mean they actually live on the water. But for artists Wayne Adams and Catherine King, the statement is literal. Freedom Cove, their remote, magenta-green island home, floats in Clayoquot Sound near Vancouver Island. They started building it from old, interlocking steel docks in 1991, and now it includes 15 platforms, four greenhouses, a guest house, an art workshop, and more. the aesthetic movie set designer and Bat Casa resident Steve Rood was going for. The staircase looks like human vertebrae, skeletal hands act as towel hooks in the bathroom, and tendril-like fixtures surround the living room couch. Perhaps the most out-of- character addition to the house is a large mural of the bat symbol painted on the garage door, which is the origin of the property’s name. HOBBIT HOUSE, THE WORLD’S WACKIEST HOMES DESIGNED BY THEIR OWNERS BAT CASA, SAN MIGUEL, MEXICO The best word to describe this home is probably “anatomical.” That’s certainly
Paleo Breakfast Casserole
Inspired by TheLeanGreenBean.com
Ingredients
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2 cups spinach
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1/2 cup onion, diced
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1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (optional: substitute with water)
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1 red pepper, diced
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2 strips bacon, cut into squares 1 large sweet potato, spiralized or grated
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1 tsp paprika
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INVERNESS-SHIRE, SCOTLAND Surprisingly, Stuart Grant’s cozy forest cottage was not inspired by the hobbit holes of “Lord of the Rings.” In fact, Grant built it over 15 years before the first movie was released. Still, it’s hard not to imagine some magical creature taking up residence in this house,
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6 eggs
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Salt and pepper, to taste
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2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 F. 2. In a large pan over medium heat, sauté onion, peppers, bacon, and sweet potatoes until bacon is completely rendered and onions are translucent. Then, add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Finally, add spinach and continue cooking for another 3–5 minutes. 3. Transfer to a greased casserole dish. 4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and pour them over casserole. 5. Bake for 20–30 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes, and serve.
which appears to be an extension of the forest itself. Gnarled tree trunks frame a circular door, moss coats the roof, and ivy covers most of the walls, all belying a cozy interior fit for many a hobbit meal or dwarf song. These homes may not be for everyone, but that’s kind of the point. Each of these homes was built by a specific resident, for a specific resident. Still, you can’t help but be impressed by the determination of their owners to make something truly one of a kind.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
WWW.TROUTBROOKLANDSCAPINGCT.COM (860) 888-8472
INSIDE SEPT 2019
69 TALCOTT RD. WEST HARTFORD, CT 06110
THIS ISSUE
1 2
Our Rapid Response to Storm Damage
The Mighty White Pine Tree
3 Ways to Prepare Your Backyard for Storm Season
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Crazy Homes Not Built by Architects
Paleo Breakfast Casserole
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Navigating Your Insurance Policy After a Storm
WHAT’S COVERED?
NAVIGATING HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE AFTER A STORM
damage from taking place. Insurance may not cover additional damage that they deem occurred due to negligence. • It’s important to act quickly after a storm and have weakened trees maintained and/or removed by a professional to prevent further damage. • You have the right to choose your contractor when you are in immediate need. The best thing you can do in preparation for storm season is get a tree assessment by a trained professional and have weakened trees removed or pruned before the next storm hits. Don’t wait until that nor’easter comes blowing through and causes damage to your home. Call our efficient, responsive team at Trout Brook Landscaping. Our employees have worked hands-on in storm cleanup during and after hurricanes like Irene and Sandy. We’ll act quickly to provide a quick estimate and create a plan of action. We can also recommend an adjuster and interior restoration company to assess structural damage and prevent additional loss. From there, we’ll remove tree debris and return your yard to the way it was so you can enjoy it again.
As the storm wound its way through the East Coast, 60- mph winds hit your neighborhood hard, and, by the next morning, it looks like the Tasmanian devil had a party on your lawn. This is a once-in-a-lifetime situation for many people, and it can be overwhelming. What happens next? WHERE TO BEGIN Often, the first thing your insurance company will tell you is to have tree debris cleaned up. Until that happens, they may not send an adjuster to assess the damage. WHAT’S COVERED? Most policies will cover the cost of this type of tree cleanup. Whether it was a tree growing on your property or your neighbor’s that has fallen, damage to your home and its contents, as well as other structures on your property, should be covered by your homeowners insurance policy. While insurance should cover this initial damage, do note the following. • It’s your responsibility as a homeowner to secure your property and prevent additional water or wind
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