The rewards of patience

This is the outside corner of my workroom, part of an enchanting little evergreen garden which the previous owners installed in an attempt to sell the home. Obviously, it worked on me, appealing to my need for a natural retreat in the city. My husband, however, would like to do something completely different with this area. He's often complained about the giant Hollies on the corners of this landscape design. The hollies have been a big problem due to the maintenance involved in keeping them at a reasonable size. This year, they had grown three times the size you see in this picture. I was worried about taking them down because the birds absolutely loved them. These hollies were prime real estate in our yard. All spring we were gifted with the show of three different species of birds fighting for nest building rights. Alas, this year the hollies took over the house and they had to go. And for once, procrastination was a good thing. As I cut the branches, I worried what would fall...egg filled nests? Babies just learning to fly?

I was rewarded with four beautiful empty nests. Next year I will miss my little bird families so close to my window.