Pay forward for next year’s garden

PLAN AHEAD to ensure autumn COLOR!

Witch Hazel Witch Hazel

As temperatures drop and tree leaves start to make their winter exodus, you probably aren’t thinking about a fall garden. But with gray days ahead, it might encourage you to envision a landscape full of autumn color next year, and to help you plan for just that, Wendy Bottlebrush Buckeye Bottlebrush Buckeye Pappas, Arlington Parks & Recreation Department’s Urban Forestry Land Manager, suggests fve small trees you can add to get a jump on bloom-time beauty once the weather warms up.

Flowering Dogwood

The Dogwood tree is not only beautiful in the fall, but ofers interest in every season all year long. In early spring, Dogwood can bloom in many diferent colors of white, pink, red and anything in between. In summer, leaves will turn bright green. Fall will bring another gorgeous range of leaf color from red to deep purple. In the winter, Dogwood will grow bright red berries that birds love to eat. This is an ornamental tree that can grow up to 40 feet tall in optimal conditions.

Crepe Myrtle

This Southern staple is a summer and fall favorite, and for good reason. This fastgrowing tree usually blooms from July to September, and fowers can range in color from white, red, pink, purple or even almost orange. Depending on variety, Crepe Myrtles have brilliant fall leaf colors, including red, orange and yellow.

Winged Sumac

Winged Sumac trees like full sun and can grow anywhere from 7-15 feet tall and 10-20 feet wide. Much like Dogwood, this tree ofers year-round beauty. Sumac blooms clusters of white fowers in the summer and grows berries in the winter. This plant will reproduce rapidly if conditions are favorable.

Witch Hazel

While many people consider Witch Hazel to be a shrub, it can be grown as either a shrub or a tree. This plant prefers full sun or partial shade and has moderate needs for watering. Overall, Witch Hazel is a very low-maintenance plant, and you won’t need to prune very often.

Bottlebrush Buckeye

This small tree will grow up to 12 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It is suited for USDA hardiness zones 4-8 and cannot handle drought conditions, so regular watering is important. The Bottlebrush Buckeye tree will bloom white, wispy fowers in June and July, and leaves will turn a bright yellow color in fall. Full to partial shade is ideal for this tree, and you won’t need to do much maintenance. The Bottlebrush Buckeye is very resistant to disease.

WHAT’S A WHAT’S A ‘Z-SLED’? ‘Z-SLED’?

As this photograph and those on the ensuing page suggest, Gary Daley’s As this photograph and those on the ensuing page suggest, Gary Daley’s 1977 Chevy Camaro Z-28 has all the trappings of a classic automobile that 1977 Chevy Camaro Z-28 has all the trappings of a classic automobile that was created to stand – and that has stood – the test of time. was created to stand – and that has stood – the test of time.

Photos: Richard Greene

Gary Daley’s Camaro has been the car of his dreams for four decades-plus • By Richard Greene

Most young guys share a common enthusiasm for them had gotten any Z-28’s in stock. automobiles. It’s hard to predict when that urge kicks “One Saturday morning I called New Union Chevrolet and in, but it really accelerates when they can buy the car of they told me they had one that their buyer had backed out of, so I their dreams. rushed over with my brother to see the car.

There are few whose stories about how they turned their desire “My frst choice was brown, and this one was brown! The into reality who can match 19-year-old Gary Daley’s procurement window sticker price was $6,500 and I told the salesman I would of his 1977 Chevy Camaro Z-28 some 43 take it for $6,000. ‘No, you won’t’ was his years ago. immediate answer as there would be no

Chevrolet reintroduced the Z-28 midway discounts on this car. So, I paid full sticker through the 1977 model year – a decision price.” that resulted in less than seven percent A noteworthy moment in Chevrolet history of that year’s total Camaro production. adds to the understanding of the car’s They were hard to fnd and in short supply attraction – it was the frst year when the everywhere. Camaro outsold the Ford Mustang.

“I was on the wait list,” Gary explains Since that time, Gary’s love for his car with perfect recall, “and had deposits at fve or six Chevy dealers has only grown. His attachment to the car can also be better in Kansas City. I frequently called other dealers to see if any of understood when he shares his early experiences with it. >>>

Here’s the “Z-Board” that serves as a Here’s the “Z-Board” that serves as a shrine to Gary Daley’s “Z-Sled.” shrine to Gary Daley’s “Z-Sled.”

“My high school buddy and I (we would later become the best man in each other’s wedding) referred to our cars as “sleds.” Whenever we would plan to go somewhere or just cruising, we would ask each other, ‘Do you want to take my sled or your sled?’ So, as soon as I got my new Camaro, it became known as the Z-Sled.”

I asked him if he dated his wife, Vivianne, in his Z-Sled. I could have guessed the answer. “This is the car that my wife and I went on our frst date back in 1978, and we’ve now been married for 39 years.”

Fast forward in his story about when his son Kyle was soon to turn 16, get his driver’s license and wanting his own car. “We ofered him the Z-Sled and his immediate answer – ‘No way, Dad!’ and I thought he declined because it was my car, my toy.

“But I asked him why anyway. His response, ‘Dad, It’s brown! Nobody wants a brown car!’”

Last year Gary dealt with the reality that his prized possession needed some repairs and restoration. “I fully intended to do the repairs myself, but never seemed to fnd the time. One day my bride said, ‘Let’s take the Z-Sled to someone and get her tuned up,’ and she didn’t have to twist my arm very hard. So I’ve had many things fxed up thanks to master technician Robert Massengale, who has put it back in as original condition as possible.”

Readers may recall that we’ve covered in previous editions of this column some of Massengale’s talents with cars he’s restored for other owners.

“These days,” Gary continues, “I frequently tinker with little things on the car and have truly enjoyed having her back up and running well and looking new.”

Gary’s long devotion to this pristine vehicle is evidenced by the display board he takes along to car shows that includes the window sticker, build sheet, sales brochure, owner’s manual and sales receipt. All originals.

People often ask him how much is his car worth. He’s instantly ready with a classic response: “Way more to me than anyone else!”

No, the Z-Sled is not for sale and, after understanding the passion of its oneowner history, anyone would know exactly why. GARY WAS prepared to give the car to his son Kyle as he was about to turn 16, but the teen turned down the offer. “Dad,” Kyle said, “it’s brown! Nobody wants a brown car!”