Remember that time a couple of years ago I needed to plant a tree to shade my deck? Remember how pleased I was with the Very Large Tree I acquired for a Very Small Price? Remember how the nursery had to load it into the pickup with a forklift—a forklift!-- and I still didn’t consider the size of the hole I’d have to dig to accommodate it, nor the distance I’d have to drag the Very Large Tree to the Very Deep Hole? Remember?
Well, I’ve never forgotten it. Which is why I now buy trees in little gallon pots; very cute, very manageable, very little digging, no dragging.
Gallon pots are kind of small, though, so I planted my trees—short term—in larger, cylindrical pots until I can properly plant them—or--more accurately—first figure out where it is I want to plant them. Because sometimes, the sale is just too good to pass up. Besides, these very lovely Cypress trees—“Goldcrest”-- only grow to 10ft high. I can just leave them in these tall pots! No digging required! I’m a genius!
Fast forward a couple of years and I happen to pull the tag from the tall pot and read it. Yes, it’s a Cypress, yes, it’s a “Goldcrest”—but it turns out that it’s the type of Cypress Goldcrest that grows 10m high. M as in meters, not feet.
When I was in elementary school, the word on the street was that-- sooner or later-- the US of A would be adopting the metric system like the rest of the world, and we Third Graders had better learn it now so we’d be prepared. Turns out, the adoption of the metric system has turned out to be a much “later” thing than I was led to believe. Which is good—because I can’t say I’m that clear on just what’s what with metric. That being said—even I know that 10m > 10ft. 10m is much closer to 33ft than 10ft. Note to future self: Take reading glasses to nursery, don’t just squint at the tag.
Time to dig a hole...
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