Removing an old azalea

In order to build a new carport at the east side of our house, I asked the gardener to move an old azalea to a new place. It is a fairly big one with the diameter of 2 meters or so. It has grown there for past 3 decades. At first, I told him to remove it. But he wanted to move it to another place. Such a gorgeous and beautiful azalea could not be found easily. I agreed with him. It was after it had fully bloomed this spring.

But the move was really tough. In an hour or two, I proposed him to help him. I could not be a big help to him at all. However, even though he had digged it out, it was almost impossible for us to take it out and move to the new place. I could not help telling him to give it up and to remove it. He seemed a bit sad but said OK to me. There was another azalea with white flowers which, a few years ago, I planted in front of the house parents used to live. I asked him to move it to the place we had planned to move this old one.

I fully understood how much the gardener loved that old azalea. For a person who has been watching various trees for his profession, it must be a valuable one and he believed we should have it survived. In addition to that, that old one was a tree which had lived together with us here almost since the beginning of our this home. Of course, trees won't have consciousness or memory. It has, however, lived with us for that long time. In other words, it has lived in our memories. The fact is beyond our sentimentalism but a value in our life. Having heard from me what happened to the tree today, my wife told me some memories on that tree. We kept a dog named Jiro around that tree and so forth. Anyway, any living things could not be eternal. The gardener cut a part of the tree and planted it to another place. When it grows again, we might remember of the mother tree which had lived with us that long time.

After being pruned off the branches which bore beautiful flowers, it was ready to move. But unsuccessful due to its heavy weight. 

I should have taken a photo or two of this old azalea before today. It was at a corner of the property not drawing our attention so much that I had not taken many photos. Seeking any photo of this azalea, I could not help grinning at myself. There must be another better shot in the album in PC. The azalea is on the lower left corner on this photo taken in the same season 5 years ago.