Dear Residents of Burning Tree,
It is time for all of you to know the truth regarding our young trees and perennial flower garden. We will be silent no longer.
To begin, I must thank Mr. Jim Pumpelly for making the initial contact with Up With Trees requesting some Loblolly Pines for the greenbelt areas adjacent to South. He has our heartfelt thanks for having the vision to ensure new trees would be maturing and gracing us with beauty and shade as the older ones needed replacing from storms and time. Jim was the person who spent countless hours playing 'phone tag' with the people to make certain that BT would have trees to plant. A few days before the scheduled pick up of the trees, Jim was not feeling well, and I went to his house to pick up the paperwork needed to get the trees.
I called Annie Thomas to see if we could use her truck to pick them up, as I was not certain how they would fit into our Lincoln Navigator. Annie was happy to provide transportation, and upon arriving at the designated area, a whole field of different types of trees awaited us. These trees had been provided through a grant from the Apache Corporation under then Mayor Kathy Taylor to 're-green' Tulsa from the devastating ice storm. After speaking with one of the directors from Up With Trees, we learned that since our association was a non-profit and that we had several acres of land, we were allowed 100 trees! We selected river birch, redbud, oak, crepe myrtle and the loblolly pine. Can you imagine what the cost of purchasing that many trees would be?
The contract specifically states that all trees are to be watered regularly for a 2 year period to establish their root system, and then they should be able to survive on their own. BT gave their word that they would be properly cared for, and many volunteers helped to get them planted and mulched one weekend. Many planted the trees in memory of a loved one. While walking the property with my husband Ed and Annie, to determine where they would be planted, I stated that the area screamed for color, the area should be alive with color, and that is how the flower garden began.
A portable water meter (to be connected to fire hydrants) was secured by the BTMA, and the adapter for connection was purchased by Annie Thomas.
Annie had been elected to the BTMA board of directors, and with the demands of her day time job, found it difficult to tend to the watering of the trees. So Ed and I began the care of the trees, and the planting of the flowers. Ed even went through the course at Up With Trees to be certified to care for them, at our expense.
An amount of $1,000 dollars was approved by the board of directors for the establishment of the flower bed to include shrubs and perennials, and to date, $400 dollars has been spent, including 400 feet of hoses and food for the plants. All spring and summer, even during the hottest summer on record, the trees and flower garden were properly cared for. Gardening is our passion and we were happy to serve our community to make it attractive. We continued until Ed had become ill, and I asked our neighbor Dennis Phillips if he would give the meter to Wanda Downen until we could resume our watering schedule, because Wanda had been helping us water.
But before the ambulance was out of our driveway, Richard Thomas removed all the hoses and meter from our vehicle and they are still in his possession. Dennis must have chosen to give him a call instead of Wanda. Within two weeks our lives were back to normal, and Ed was doing great; but they would not return the meter or hoses.
I checked the trees and garden and was bereft to see that plants (in that 100 plus degree temps), had not been properly cared for. Repeated emails and calls to the BTMA president, Wendy Berezowski yielded absolutely no results. We had spent hours upon hours throughout the spring and summer caring for them, had worked with our master gardener friend on designing the garden. The finished project would have included the flower garden, arbors with wisteria and benches to sit and enjoy the scenery. Neighbors had offered their time to build the arbors, how great is that? While watering people would bring their grandchildren and teach them the names of the flowers, and visit with one another.
Yet they refused to have Annie and Richard return the meter so we could resume watering. Annie was managing the pool and did not have the time or inclination to water, so many plants died. All the river birch trees close to the pool area are dead because it was easier to connect hoses from the pool area,( the 400 ft. of hose would not stretch from the nearest hydrant to those trees) yet Annie chose not to water them. (another example of your hard earned money down the drain). Ed even bought two containers and we filled them at home and took them to the garden to water.
This is how your board of directors operate; the good ole boy network, and if you fall out of favor with them.... well you get the picture. The meter belongs to all of us, it does not belong to any one person. And why, when someone has a passion for something and the time and talent they are not allowed to continue?
We are just sickened that the trees, several planted in loving memory, are not being taken care of properly and we are so sorry. We have tried repeatedly to have access to water and provide proper care for all trees and plants, to no avail. (our hands are tied as long as those in possession of meter would rather play "gotcha" games, than honor the contract to water for 2 years, and your trees perish while they play these games). Our community deserves better leadership than this.
If you're are wondering why the beautiful crepe myrtles are dead in Burning Tree East, it is because someone carelessly used roundup to control the grass around them!!!! Yes, we took pictures and had the soil tested to make certain. Don't know for sure, however, it could have been the same person who uses roundup to kill the grass growing in the street.
Please, I ask you to call the directors for your area and tell them to let us resume our work. I have been in contact with Wendy and she refuses to allow any more money to be spent (remember the money has already been allocated and approved by vote), to plant evergreen shrubs and fall flowers. This is your garden, your trees, your neighborhood. It cannot continue to be beautiful and green without water. We need your help to ensure the beauty of Burning Tree.
Thank you for listening,
Ed and Claudia Nelson
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