'Cause we're rebels like that!

So, I'm not doing too well on the "post once a week" thing, am I? It's been a month since I put anything up over here but I have put a few things on the food blog, including post #200 and the other day I saw that I have had 20,000 pageviews over there. Kind of nice!
On the homefront, we have been planting trees and trying to make this little patch of ground more like home. In our neighborhood, just about every tree has at least one Live Oak tree in the front yard. They are put in by the builders and it's part of their contract with the Homeowner's Association. Most of the yards are not big enough for a single Live Oak, let alone two! I almost feel angry at the nursery the builders use for putting the trees in knowing they will be unhealthy and ugly. But they are among the most expensive trees at the nursery so I guess all that is seen are the $$$$$$ involved with putting two in each yard.
Our front yard (and our back too) is much larger than the average yard in the 'hood. We have room for two trees in front and three along the front of the fence off to the side of the house. But we didn't want the two in front to be Live Oaks. They grow very s   l   o   w   l   y   and they can look pretty scraggly until they are about 10 years old. Although we plan to live in this house that long and longer, we want pretty trees now, not 10 years from now. So a couple weekends ago we made plans.
We had already planted two Mulberry trees along the front of the fence. We had three at our old house and along with enjoying the fruit, we loved the birds that came to visit the trees. They grew fairly quickly and became a wonderful source of shade to the yard. We also transplanted some of the holly bushes from the flower bed (also put in by the builder) and replaced them with American Beautyberry from our land.
Here is a shot of the yard with it's two Live Oaks:

We decided that we wanted a White Oak instead. They are faster growing, prettier and change color in the fall. So we found a local nursery that we liked and bought one.

We decided to put it in the position that the Live Oak on the right in the picture occupied. So I found a local woodsman:

He popped the Live Oak out of the ground with his mighty, bulging muscles. Then he dug a nice hole for it in the back yard....

...hauled it around to the back with his expert machinery...

...and plopped it in it's new home.

Now to plant the White Oak in it's new home out front...

Viola!

We also spread around some new mulch and added a rose to the front flowerbed. I found this one that I liked very much at Lowe's:

We put it right in the center, in front of the birdbath. It's hard to see now but should have some major growth this spring if it is anything like the roses at the old house. Grow my beauty!!

So, we have bucked the system here in the new 'hood and are wondering if the HOA will try to ding us for it. We already got a nastygram from them about a pallet we had along the side of the house. It clearly states in the rules we have that they require either two 15-gallon trees or one 30-gallon tree in the front yard. It doesn't say anything about it having to be a Live Oak and we have seen other types of trees in other yards. We think we will take the other Live Oak out as well and we may or may not replace it. The receipt for the White Oak says 30-gallon on it so we are not "breaking any rules"...for now. Here's the after picture:

Last weekend, Jayme and the boys bought me a Sam Houston Peach tree for the middle position along the fence, between the Mulberries. I wanted something that would have pretty flowers on it in the spring. Here it is ready to have a new home.

Here's a little perspective shot of that space along the fence. It faces the street but it is to the side of our house since we are the last one on the cul-de-sac.

Here's the tree all tucked in and ready to grow. Thanks clonies!