In the last few years you may have noticed some changes along Madison Street in downtown Middleburg. At one time a stately American elm growing in front of the police station once shaded the entire southern half of the street. Now gone, this end of the street has a changed character and a new face lift. Thanks to the combined efforts of Middleburg Beautification and Middleburg Treescape committees and Cornerstone Landscaping, the planting of three new trees has finally been completed in the past two weeks.

Two 'Winter King' hawthorns have been planted in front of Tom Hayes' place at the corner of Madison and Federal Streets and another hawthorn was planted directly across the street. The addition of a crape myrtle has also been added to this planting. The three hawthorns provided by the committees were grown at the Dornin Science Center tree nursery at the Hill school and were dug earlier this month. The hawthorns will provide several seasons of interest by providing flowering in spring and colorful red fruit in the fall. The crape myrtle will lend a summer flowering event that serves to entice passersby to this part of Madison Street.

On the opposite side of Madison near Main Street have been extensive sidewalk repairs. The willow oak trees at this end of the street are growing ever larger each year. Their presence on both sides of the street now provides a much desired shade canopy on the north end of the street. There is a plan by the Beautification Committee to uncover the root system in efforts to allow the trees' root flares to have more space and to correct any soil depth issues. A planned treatment aimed at slowing down the rate of growth of these trees will buy them time in their current location and help them to manage these adverse street conditions. This treatment will also lengthen the pruning cycle of these trees.

An additional planting in front of the Safeway includes a white blooming Fringe tree. This planting will be completed by the planting of a ginkgo which will be planted sometime this spring by Greenworks Nursery. Watch for the fringe tree to come into bloom sometime in May. A lovely Virginia native, Fringe tree botanically known as Chionanthus virginicus shows a lovely drooping, white fringe-like blossom in late spring. Next issue will celebrate spring blooming trees around Middleburg.

Bonnie Deahl is a Certified Arborist with The Care of Trees. www.thecareoftrees.com Dulles 703.661.1700 and Piedmont 540.687.6800