Heat, drought threaten three oaks: Lewisville council OKs landscaper in in bid to save trees.
Posted by Winston Salem | Posted in Winston Salem Journal | Posted on 31-08-2008
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COPYRIGHT 2007 Winston-Salem Journal
Byline: Paul Garber
Nov. 1–LEWISVILLE
Last week’s rainfall brought a reprieve from the hot, dry conditions that have plagued the area since early summer, but it may not be enough to save the three large oak trees in Shallowford Square.
The combination of hot weather and drought conditions has taken a toll on trees, which dominate the landscape of the park and provide shade for visitors to many events held there.
Last month, the town council approved a $4,500 contract with Joe Marion, the owner of Joe’s Landscaping, to try to save the trees, which are believed to be 70 to 75 years old.
“We love the trees,” Mayor Tom Lawson said. “We couldn’t grow trees like that again in our lifetime.”
The work will include adding a four-inch layer of mulch over the ground beneath the trees and improving the irrigation around them.
The trees are on the western edge of the park, between the town’s veterans’ memorial and a small set of swings.
“I think it certainly defines the character of the park up there,” Town Manager Cecil Wood said.
The trees help set the tone of Lewisville as a rural area, he said.
Town officials started noticing problems with the trees earlier this year. A record wave of temperatures in the 90s along with limited rainfall contributed to the problems, Wood said.
Even with the additional help, it’s a possibility that not all three trees will survive, Wood said.
He said that of the three oaks, the most endangered may be the one closest to the swing sets.
“It tends to have more dead limbs in it, and the foliage is not healthy looking,” he said.
Although the summer’s harsh conditions put stress on the trees, Wood said that there also may have been other factors that affected their ability to thrive in the park.
That includes grading around the area as the park was being built, he said.
– Paul Garber can be reached at 727-7327 or at pgarber@wsjournal.com.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.
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