I Could Grow a Forest... in My Yard!

Every year, I dig small trees out of my flower beds...

Some grow from seeds blown by the wind. Birds drop seeds as well. Some take root. But the biggest culprits are the squirrels, who spend their lives burying seeds in the ground.

I recently counted six small trees springing up in my front flower bed. They're hard to distinguish from other plants until they grow taller than the other plants. By then their roots are firmly entrenched in the soil.

The weeping cherry that I purchased when I first started this front yard flower bed isn't doing all that well.

Two years ago, I sprayed the gout weed growing under the tree with a "natural" weed killer. (I think it was vinegar). The gout weed survived, but the tree is dying!

Should I leave one squirrel-planted tree in the flower bed, in case the weeping cherry dies?

Several of the seedlings are Manitoba maples, according to my neighbor Rob. They're not a good tree to have.

These ripply leaves belong to a tiny black chestnut tree. We already have one of those near the fence. I don't want more chestnuts in the yard either, as they encourage squirrels to dig and plant...

I like trees that flower in spring. But I don't think any of my naturally-planted seedlings is one of those. I guess I'll just cut them all down! I don't want a forest growing in our front yard...