As some of you know I loved my Grandpa's garden and getting the chance to grow up with it was amazing, so i decided to look up the house and see how things are going and was deeply sadened and disturbed to find that this has happened...the "new" owner's (still within the family) completely destoryed it. No one has cut the trees in what seems like 16 years they've removed the white picket fence, the grass is dead, all the poppies are gone, rose brushes and everything else that was in the front yard is no longer there. Im scared to see what has happened to the backyard...

These trees i've always loved so much and loved the thick cool shade they provided and being able to lay under them in the soft green grass, but never knew what kinds of trees they were. Could you please help me ID them? I would love to have these growing in my garden where ever we go and at least i can say i still have a picture of me in the garden as a child when it was in its glory state :'/

The property is much wider and more damage was spread all thronghout the other side of the parking area, but there were a lot of cars in the driveway so i had to crop them out... Thanks for your help in advance... :crying:

Oh dear...sorry.
The new people may have different interests. They may not be able to spend the hours needed to keep the garden neat and tidy. They may want to change everything from pretty flowers to arid cacti. Much treasured plants left behind may be grubbed up and burnt, tarmac or concrete laid over much loved flower borders.Grass can get long and full of weeds.Trees die or get too big.
Yes, it is upsetting.... it never pays to go back and look at a much loved garden.Nothing ever stays the same for ever.

The pic of these trees is not clear enough to give an accurate id.
They may be Tilia...common name here is Linden or Lime trees.

I know things dont ever stay the same, but i had hoped they would keed at least something from the original garden. But, I am trying to see the brightness in this dark situation and look forward to my garden when it is made so i can place a few of my favorites that were once in his garden in my own garden.

I believe the tree may be a 'fruitless' morus alba. A mulberry tree variety. Sadly, i was unable to get a clearer shot of the tree, but when i looked up its characteristics and searched between google and youtube videos, the results i found seem to look like the tree. Thank you for your help though! I greatly appreciate it

Agree that the two trees are some sort of Mulberry (Morus sp.). There are evident lobed leaves in that image, and the long elongated growth after heavy pruning fits the behavior of this species.

The Asian or White Mulberry is certainly one of the most common in the US - and an amazing pest plant in the eastern US.

Agree....I should have looked more carefully at the lower leaves which clearly show the lobed leaf typical of Morus...Mulberry. Sorry.

Renae,
It can be very sad to see the beauty of a place that holds fond memories become not so beautiful. We owned a home for 43 years and sold it a couple of years ago; we avoid driving that route anymore because the new owners have let the property deteriorate so badly. I can only imagine what the inside looks like with the way they've destroyed the outside so I know how you are feeling. Just try to let go of the way your grandpa's house and garden look now and keep the good memories of your childhood, when his place was beautiful!

I don't know about what kind of trees grow in the San Joaquin area (if that's where your grandpa's house is located?) but Morus does look right for the lovely leaves in your photo. For comparison, White Mulberry (Morus alba)

More photos of Morus alba:
Tree: http://www.public.asu.edu/~cam...
Leaves: http://static.panoramio.com/ph...

That's exactly what it is - a Fruitless Mulberry (Morus alba).

For some reason, they are pruned back to the same place every winter eventually forming big 'knots'. Then in the spring, 20 branches come out of each 'knot' and grow to form that summer's canopy.

I suspect Renae is remembering that pruning style. We had one in the yard of my childhood home that had never been pruned that way. It was huge and beautiful.

https://www.google.com/search?...

Plantladylin, im sorry your previous garden has been in this similar situation. It is a good idea not to drive by your old home despite curosity nudging at you. My grandpa's house is located here in the valley. He was from originally from Texas, so I wasn't sure if he had brought the tree seeds or cuttings from a place out there, here when he moved to California and settled down or if the house came with the trees...all i knew was they were big and every year they would get pruned, but when they were full they provided the best shade all over the front yard.

Daisyl, yes it was the knots on the tree from the pruning style, the giant leaves, and width of the tree that i looked up in order to find the tree. All the trees i looked up were too narrow and the leaves just didn't match, but eventually I found it and now i can look for where to buy them! :)

Thank you all for your help and input! They are truly one of the many beautiful kinds of trees I love.

Renae,

The good news is that you can take a cutting from your Grandfather's tree and grow your own 'Heritage' tree.

Unfortunately that isn't possible. No one is allowed on the property. They've put up no trespassing signs and beware of dog signs along the fences and I've already tried reaching out to that side of my family and they have not responded. I hope they do cause if i could get some cuttings from his trees that would be awesome, but im not holding my breath on it, if i am being honest.

RenaeC said:Plantladylin, It is a good idea not to drive by your old home despite curosity nudging at you.

LOL, we didn't drive by out of curiosity, we had to take that road when we went to visit our best friends. We sold the house to an elderly man in his late 80's. He lives in California, has never been to Florida and never plans on coming here. He purchased the house for his grown daughter and her boyfriend. Even though we owned the house for 45 years, once it was sold we never looked back! I just felt bad for the neighbors, some who had been there as long, or even longer than us! Most neighbors kept their properties in pristine condition and they often told us that ours was the prettiest yard on the block because I was always out working and planting flowers, etc. It was a bit sad to see how quickly the condition of the property deteriorated; junk piled all over in front of the garage, stacked in the little courtyard by the front door and even along the side of the house in the driveway. The lawn was dead and some shrubs had died as well as two queen palms.
Such is life sometimes but we moved on; it wasn't our home anymore.

I'm sorry that has happened. I dont understand why people leave junk out in front of their home or why they dont invest in a storage bin. It makes the home look so tacky in my opinion. My grandpa was a pack rat, but he never let the curb appeal look bad, and he grew up in a different time era with the war so everything had value to him. I assume it was the same for the old man who bought your old home, but if he gave it to his daughter and her boyfriend, you would think they would keep upkeep on the house afterall, the curb appeal is very important if they ever decided to sell even if they hired someone to do it for them. I mean it's not that hard to find people on craigslist who are willing to do yardwork for very little, if they aren't up for it. im sorry that has happened.