tree

Shirlington to Light Up Tonight Despite Dreary Weather

By ARLnow.com

The 10th annual “Light Up The Village” Christmas tree lighting event is still scheduled tonight in Shirlington despite the cold, wet weather.

Shirlington Village said the event will go on despite the inclement conditions via its Twitter account. The light-up ceremony is expected to feature live holiday music from The Lovejoy Group, photos with Santa, face painting, balloon twisting, strolling entertainment and horse and carriage rides (with a non-perishable donation to the Arlington Food Assistance Center).

There will also be specials and promotions at Shirlington Village merchants, including free coffee or apple cider at Busboys and Poets, and free kids meals (with an adult entrée) at Capitol City Brewing Company.

The festivities are scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The tree lighting will take place at 6:30, and photos with Santa will begin at the UPS Store at 6:45. The event is free and open to the public.

Optimist Club Christmas Tree Sale Begins Saturday

By ARLnow.com
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The annual Optimist Club of Arlington Christmas tree sale begins Saturday.

The trees arrived on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo bank lot near the corner of Lee Highway and Glebe Road. Volunteers offloaded the trees from tractor trailers, sending the unmistakable holiday smell of fresh Christmas trees wafting across the immediate area.

The Optimist Club will offer the trees — 1,800 total, including white pines, Canaan furs and Fraser furs — for sale starting at noon on Saturday. From there on out, until Dec. 22, the lot will be open on weekend mornings starting at 10:00 a.m., on weekdays starting at 2:00 p.m., and on Fridays starting at noon. The lot will remain open until 9:00 p.m.

The tree prices range from $40 to $240. This year, for the first time, the club will take credit cards.

Last year, the tree sale raised $75,000, according to Optimist Club volunteer Greg Clough. The proceeds all benefit the local club, which sponsors “academic and sports activities designed to give Arlington’s youth a better chance to succeed in today’s world.”

Free Tree Distribution on Saturday

By Katie Pyzyk

The leaves may already be falling, but there’s an opportunity for you to green up your neighborhood this weekend. The county is giving away free trees to Arlington residents.

All of the trees, referred to as whips, are native to Virginia. They’re distributed in one, two or three gallon containers and typically range in height from two to four feet.

Representatives from the Arlington County Landscape staff and from TreeStewards will be on hand to offer planting guidelines and tree care tips. They can also explain characteristics of each tree species.

Distribution will take place from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Saturday (October 13) at the Arlington County nursery facility. It is located behind the baseball field at S. George Mason Drive and Four Mile Run. Parking is available in the lot in front of the field.

Each residential property is allotted one free tree; multi-family properties should email [email protected] to obtain extra trees. Those interested in picking up a tree on Saturday should register online for a particular species. The spice bushes are sold out, but the remaining species are as follows:

  • American beech
  • American holly
  • Red oak
  • American basswood
  • Hophornbeam
  • Hornbeam
  • Sassafras
  • Persimmon

For questions, email Environmental Landscape Supervisor Patrick Wegeng at [email protected].

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

VDOT Needs Residents to Check Trees — VDOT says it doesn’t have the resources to check all the trees along roads it maintains, so it sometimes relies on residents to tell them when a tree needs to be inspected or removed. VDOT-maintained roads in Arlington include Glebe Road, Lee Highway, Old Dominion Drive and parts of Washington Blvd. [Sun Gazette]

Art at Arlington National Cemetery — A new art exhibit at Arlington National Cemetery entitled “The Greatest Generation, A Visual Tribute,” is getting some help from amateur artists. About 500 people have contributed their own visual tributes to those who served in World War II on a “wall of thanks.” [WUSA 9]

Arlington Ridge Starbucks Opens Tomorrow — A new Starbucks Coffee store is opening tomorrow at 2925 S. Glebe Road, in the Arlington Ridge shopping center. [Twitter]

Melody Tavern Hosts Redskins Event — Melody Tavern (3650 S. Glebe Road) is hosting an event tonight to coincide with the season’s first Redskins pre-season game, against the Buffalo Bills. From 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Melody Tavern will host a discussion with former Redskins Frank Grant (WR), Roy Jefferson (WR) and Darryl Grant (DT), according to a press release. There will also be a drawing for free Redskins tickets.

Flickr pool photo by Ddimick

Historic ‘George Washington Tree’ Damaged by Storm

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County has revealed that another historic tree was severely damaged in the June 29 derecho storm.

During the storm, a large limb was ripped off the George Washington Tree, a Southern Red Oak at the corner of S. Fern and 31st Streets, on the grounds of the Arlington Water Pollution Control Plant. The tree, which legend holds might have once been surveyed by George Washington, is designated by the Arlington County Board as a “Heritage Tree.”

Whereas Arlington’s historic Post Oak was totally removed earlier this week due to storm damage, the George Washington Tree is expected to survive — but it’s being severely cut back. Once a stately 130 feet tall, the tree has now been trimmed down to 30 feet.

A county worker was seen working on the tree today, using a chainsaw to break the large branches already cut from the tree into smaller pieces.

The county issued a press release below regarding the tree last night (published after the jump).

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Undocumented W-L Valedictorian “Still Kind of Scared” — This year’s Washington-Lee High School valedictorian, 17-year-old Nataly Montano, is one of the young people impacted by President Obama’s recent policy decision to pull back on the deportation of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. Montano, a 4.3 GPA student, says she is “still kind of scared sometimes because things could happen to get me deported.” [Sun Gazette]

New Washington Blvd Trail to Impact Trees — A new trail extension planned for Washington Boulevard between Columbia Pike and Route 50 will result in the removal of “about 350 trees.” The plan has, on some level, pitted bicycle advocates against tree huggers, according to a blog post. [Commuter Page Blog]

‘Tapping Party’ Tonight in Shirlington — Capital City Brewing Company in Shirlington Village is hosting a “tapping party” tonight (Tuesday) for one of its newest beers, a Rye IPA. “Medium to full bodied, the Rye IPA (6.5% ABV) is an American style IPA made with the addition of Rye malt that lends a spice to the flavor profile and then dry hopped with American style hops,” according to a press release. The event starts at 7:00 p.m. and will include a question and answer session with the brewmasters, a free appetizer buffet and a trivia contest. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Flickr pool photo by Maryva2

Historic Post Oak Cut Down Due to Storm Damage

By Katie Pyzyk

An oak tree that has, for centuries, towered over what is now the Westover neighborhood is being cut down today.

The derecho on June 29 irreparably damaged the historic Post Oak, a majestic 93-foot tall tree that likely dates back to the mid-to-late 1700s. The county decided that the tree, believed to be the oldest in Arlington, had to be removed for the safety of residents.

“What’s remaining is really only about a third of the tree. It had several large trunks coming out of the main trunk, and two of those were broken off,” said Jamie Bartalon with the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. “As a result, the remaining trunk has quite a bit of decay and the tree is no longer balanced. It could potentially fall.”

Contractors are spending the day cutting down the tree — on the 5800 block of 11th Street N. — in sections. Parts of it will be salvaged instead of being used for mulch. The county is still trying to figure out exactly what to do with the saved portions.

Although the tree’s exact age is unclear, it’s believed to have been around since the 1700s. That would make it not only the oldest tree in Arlington, but also perhaps one of the oldest in the state. Rings will be counted from salvaged sections of the 18-inch circumference trunk to determine exactly how old the tree was.

The Post Oak was designated as a protected “Specimen Tree” by the County Board in 2008.

Bartalon said part of what made it noteworthy besides the age was its height, considering those types of trees are slow growing and typically don’t exceed 50 feet.

The tree should be removed down to the stump by this evening.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Take a Walk at Lunch Today — Today, April 25, is National Walk @ Lunch Day. What’s National Walk @ Lunch Day, you ask? It’s a day that’s intended to convince Americans to get up and go on a brisk walk at lunch, as opposed to sitting around and just eating lunch at one’s desk. [CommuterPage Blog]

County Honors ‘Notable Trees’ — At the County Board meeting yesterday afternoon, Arlington County announced the nine trees that were chosen this year to be designated as “Notable Trees.” Applause greeted each announcement, which was accompanied by photos the notable trees. “Our commitment to trees is a very real sign of our care for the environment, and this program recognizes residents for being good stewards of these important natural resources,” County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. [Arlington County]

Wetlands Plan Bogged Down By Red Tape — After six months of fundraisers, parents of students at Campbell Elementary School were looking forward to building a Wetlands Learning Lab on the school’s soggy grounds. Unfortunately, the plan has been held up by numerous county and school system regulations. As a result, more privately-raised funds might be needed to complete the project. [Arlington Mercury]

Flickr pool photo by Desiree L.C.

Homeowners Urged to Remove Destructive Ivy from Trees

By Katie Pyzyk

There’s an effort underway to reduce a choking threat, but it’s not what you might think. English ivy is choking off trees and homeowners are being urged to remove the destructive plant.

Although the ivy is often considered decorative, it can actually strangle the life from trees. It can steal nutrients and water from trees it wraps around, and can accelerate tree rot by holding moisture close to the tree trunk. It has been known to kill trees and add enough weight to cause trees to topple during storms.

“Our trees add financial value to our properties and quality to our lives,” said Nora Palmatier, President of TreeStewards of Arlington and Alexandria in a press release. “The investment is worth it. Unfortunately, English ivy is a threat to that investment.”

The Arlington Regional Master Naturalists offer the following tips for removing the ivy.

  • Clip all ivy vines at the base of the tree. The goal is to separate all the vines from their source in the ground.
  • Leave the cut vines on the tree. Pulling them off could harm the tree. The cut ivy will die and blow off over the next year.
  • Create a barrier ring by pulling up all ivy vines from the ground for at least two feet around the tree. This protects from future infestations.

Poison ivy often hides among non-poisonous species, so remember to wear long clothing and gloves while working with ivy.

Palmatier said trained volunteers for Tree Stewards can come to your home and demonstrate how to remove ivy. To request this service or for more information about removing ivy from trees, go to the Tree Stewards website, or email [email protected].

Pollen Spike Causing Allergy Misery

By Katie Pyzyk

Although most people throughout Arlington seem to be enjoying the warmer weather, not everyone is happy with it. Allergy sufferers are getting bombarded with a spike in pollen thanks to some early blooms.

The tree pollen level shot up to high today due to the warm and windy conditions.

Local doctors say typically the first couple weeks of April mark the start of heavy allergy season. That increases throughout the month as more trees release pollen spores, which can be seen blanketing the area.

This year, allergy sufferers have already been reporting symptoms for weeks, thanks to a mild winter. In fact, the Capital Weather Gang reports this has been the third warmest meteorological winter on record for the region.

Don’t worry, there is relief in sight. Lower temperatures and expected showers should push pollen back into the moderate level tomorrow.

Until then, here are some tips for lessening allergy suffering:

  • Keep windows closed at home and in the car. Use the air conditioner if necessary, and be sure to change air filters.
  • Stay inside on windy days.
  • Avoid outdoor activity in the morning when pollen counts are highest, usually from 5:00-10:00 a.m.
  • Change clothes after being outside. Take a shower to wash off pollen spores, especially before going to bed.
  • Use a machine to dry laundry instead of hanging it outside.

Photos: Signs of Spring Around Arlington

By ARLnow.com

One could hardly have asked for a more beautiful start to March.

As the thermometer hit 70 degrees today — the first day of meteorological spring — trees, flowers and other plants were starting to bloom. From Shirlington to Ballston, from Waverly Hills to the Custis Trail, the colors of spring are beginning to emerge.

It’s no surprise that the blooms are getting an early start. According to the Capital Weather Gang, this year’s meteorological winter was the third warmest on record in D.C.

The official start of spring — the Vernal Equinox — is March 20. The peak bloom for D.C.’s cherry blossom trees, meanwhile, is now predicted for March 24.

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