A buddy of mine asked for advice on his cherry tree the other day, and it reminded me of one of the best life lessons plants ever taught me. It's a lesson that applies to everything: plants, family, personal growth, you name it.

Energy is a finite resource. Some people and plants have more than others, but everyone has a limit. That energy gets divided across different needs. In plants, it's leaves, flowers, branches, fruit, and roots. In people, it's physical work, mental focus, emotional resilience.

Whenever we put more energy into one thing, something else has to give. There simply isn't enough to go full speed in every direction. These days, people call it bandwidth. I still call it energy, because it applies just the same.

The cherry tree in question is tall, skinny, and stringy. It looks that way because it has spent all its energy growing leaves. Leaves matter, but there’s a tipping point. Too many, and they start stealing strength from the rest of the tree. No branches, no flowers, no fruit. To fix it, you simply strip away the excess — leave only the top foot of foliage. That alone is enough to grow a strong tree. With the extra leaves gone, the tree will start pushing out new branches. You can shape it carefully from there, building a tree that's compact, strong, and eventually bursting with flowers. Flowers that turn into fruit. And over time, the tree becomes exactly what you planted it for.

Life is no different. It will throw a thousand "leaves" at you — distractions, obligations, worries. You have to choose what to prune. No leaves, no life. Too many leaves, same result. Choosing what to keep and what to cut isn't easy, but if you're clear about what feeds you and what drains you, you'll grow. Some leaves, like real responsibilities, you can’t just lop off. But even those are easier to carry when you have strong branches underneath.

When I make decisions or take on new responsibilities, I always ask: if I were a tree, how would I prune this to stay strong? I still think of life that way. I’m no longer the young sapling — I’m the maturing tree. These days, I prune more often because my branches aren’t as sturdy. My mental strength and wisdom have grown while my physical energy has slowed. I lean into that and prune differently.

Thinking this way has never steered me wrong. It's hard to trim the flowers off a $100 basket of annuals you just bought, but if you do, you’ll get stronger plants, more flowers, and a much better payoff. Sometimes it just takes a week of patience for months of rewards.

And if this way of thinking doesn’t change your life, well — at least you’ll know how to fix a cherry tree.

If I Could Only Grow 12 Strawberries, These Would Be It

There is nothing I like picking more from my garden than strawberries. When you first start growing them, you expect giant, silver-dollar-sized fruits like the ones you see at the grocery store. Pretty quickly, you find out they are smaller — but you also find out what a real strawberry tastes like.

This list isn't a strict ranking, just a general rundown of my favorite varieties to grow and why I like them. I am not diving into care or growing tips here. That is for another day. This is simply about which varieties give me the best harvest and the best flavor when everything goes right.

ProTip: Runners are great for making more plant but my opening remarks fit well here. Runners will take away from berry production. You want full plants not long running plants. Trimming them back leads to bigger berries and more productive plants

1. Allstar

Why Grow It: Big, beautiful berries with a classic strawberry flavor. Extremely reliable and disease resistant. If you are in the midwest it does well but down south I don’t think I would recommend
Problem: Best in cooler climates — struggles with really hot, humid summers. Once summer hits these are pretty much done

2. Eversweet

Why Grow It: Very sweet, even in high temperatures. Keeps producing berries all season long.
Problem: Smaller berries overall. Heavy feeders. Plants can wear out quickly if not well fed. All my plants like to be fed but this one is the burning bush of strawberries. (To fill in non burning bush growers, they are the heavest eating plant I know to keep dark green)

3. Tristar

Why Grow It: Outstanding flavor and aroma in a small, tidy plant. These are my number one container strawberry. I have several big cloth growing bags full of them. My personal farmers market
Problem: Berries are smaller than grocery store types — might disappoint if you’re after monster fruits.

4. Mara des Bois

Why Grow It: Tastes like wild strawberries — incredibly fragrant and sweet. In my opinion, probably one of the best tasting strawberries there is.
Problem: Very soft fruit. Doesn’t store well. Best eaten right off the plant. Literally won’t last a day for me in the refrigerator. Its eat or mush

5. Chandler

Why Grow It: Heavy producer with juicy, sweet fruit. Perfect for a classic big spring harvest. This is what I bring to friends to make them think all my strawberries are this big
Problem: It’s a June-bearer — meaning one heavy flush, not steady picking.

6. Seascape

Why Grow It: Heat-tolerant and dependable. Produces nice-sized berries through the whole season.
Problem: Flavor can be a little more tart in cooler weather and honestly always a little more tart. Tart is still amazingly delicious

7. Albion

Why Grow It: Very sweet, large berries that hold their shape well. Ideal for desserts and snacking.
Problem: Needs excellent drainage. Susceptible to root diseases if soil stays too wet. I killed more of these from over water than I have gotten to live. I plant them in sand

8. Honeoye

Why Grow It: Extremely early producer — one of the first strawberries of the season. Cold hardy.
Problem: Berries can get soft fast once ripe, especially in very hot weather. These are many people’s favorites and would be mine if they lasted longer

9. Ozark Beauty

Why Grow It: A tough, dependable everbearer. Good flavor and great for colder gardens.This is one of the most well known and if you want success this is any easy one to start with. There are better strawberries available now

Problem: Not as heavy-producing as some newer varieties. Needs consistent care to keep fruiting.

10. Sparkle

Why Grow It: Old-fashioned strawberry flavor — rich, complex, sweet. Fantastic for jams.
Problem: Smaller berries and sprawling plants. Not the neatest or easiest to manage. A lot of runner trimming on this one. Good for giving to friends, the runners, not the berries

11. Sweet Charlie

Why Grow It: Super sweet early fruit. Perfect if you want berries before most varieties even wake up.
Problem: Plants tend to be short-lived. I pretty much treat these like an annual

12. Sweet Berry

Why Grow It: A softer, sweeter berry that’s perfect for backyard snacking and home desserts. I grow it for the red flowers. Looks like the perennial fragaria. Beautiful plant with the berries as a bonus. Bonnies plants in the chain stores is where you’ll find these

Problem: More delicate. Needs a little babying compared to tougher varieties. Fruit is the bonus. It’s sweet and delicious but not going to be running a Farmer’s Market on these

Pure White is Back

White flowers have fallen out of fashion over the last few decades. Breeders started chasing brighter, louder colors, and homeowners went right along with it.
Now we have colorful homes with colorful plants out front. Everything fighting for attention.

But white never really left. It just got buried for a while.

Right now, it is two old-fashioned plants holding the line. The bridal wreath spirea and the pure white azalea.
Later on, the hydrangeas and summer whites will show up, but early in the season, it is these two that keep the gardens looking clean and classic.

You do not always need the newest thing. Sometimes the best look is the one that has been around forever.

A Favorite Find at the Sculpture Garden

I am lucky to live near a 100-acre sculpture garden. Like all art, some of it I love and some of it I do not quite get.
Other than the seven-foot naked woman statue I have talked about before, this is my real favorite. Probably even more than that one.

It feels like the perfect piece for the garden. Life, growth, planting a seed.
It is simple but strong. It makes you stop for a second and take it in.

It is a little too much for my house and way too heavy to carry home, but I am keeping my eyes open for something like it.
Something that says a lot without being over the top.

Tree of the Day

Ft. McNair Horsechestnut

The southern US, and of course Florida and California, are loaded with flowering trees.
The Midwest and Pacific Northwest have their share too, just more seasonal.

Out of all those trees, the one that grabs the most attention might be the red horsechestnut.
Huge spiky flowers that do not last long but put on a show while they are here. Like lupines growing on a tree.

I would feel pretty comfortable saying it is one of the most asked "what is this?" plants at the nursery.
This time of year, I usually just yell out "horsechestnut" before they even get their phone out.

Ft. McNair Horsechestnut Stats:

• Mature Height: 30 to 40 feet

• Mature Spread: 30 to 40 feet

• Growth Rate: Medium

• Flower Color: Deep pink to red with yellow centers

• Bloom Time: Late spring

• Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8

• Sun: Full sun to partial shade

A Picture is Worth a Hundred Words

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND and thanks for reading…..tell your friends or respond if you have a question or comment



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