I keep telling myself it’s too early to know for sure. Still, when I look at my darling Acacia provissima, it surely does resemble a crispy critter. I had only seen small ones on garden tours, and was attracted to the jaggedy leaf patterns similar to the thorns on Rosa taracantha. It surprised me by growing to 12 or so feet in 3 years, making its placement less than ideal.

Last April, it bloomed for the first time, meaning it will have to get a move on to recover in time for an encore.

It weathered the storms of 2007 with some breakage from a heavy load of ice. That’s it on the left, with its long branchlets trailing into the bird bath. Perhaps the effects were cumulative, what with 2 weeks of snow and ice and lower than normal temperatures off and on for a couple of months.

I am trying to remain philosophical, noting that the skeletal remains will create a nice silhouette. I’m contemplating a coat of high-gloss paint in some shocking color…or perhaps something would consent to climb up through the branches (a clematis?). I will be sure to post here if there is a remarkable recovery.