I've been kinda crabby after a couple of crappy days; nothing terrible, just annoying stuff that pales in comparison to many people's travails. Even so, I decided to treat myself to a little horticultural therapy. There's nothing like a visit to the crabapple collection in full bloom at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
If you're thinking of planting a tree in celebration of Arbor Day, and you should; a crabapple can be just the ticket.
Lots of people think they don't have room for trees; their yard is small or already heavily wooded. Come on, you can squeeze in something. Crabapples like the tiny "Tina" varieties can be shoehorned in even the smallest garden space. If you have a large, barren lawn, go big, how about an entire grove?
Why crabapples?
They make people smile.
They make people gasp.
They make people ooh and ahh.
They come in all sorts of colors; white and watermelon red, purply-pink and pinky purple.
Some even have purple foliage.
They smell great and perfume the air around them.
They inspire artists with different shapes; round, vase and umbrella, and weeping as well.
They are beautiful while still in bud.
They age gracefully, looking good when old and gnarly.
And we haven't even begun to talk about the fruit.
Crabapples attract bees, birds and butterflies for a livelier garden.
Check with your local extension or reputable nursery for a crabapple that suits your garden conditions. Then start digging.
