After losing my first Black Pine, I planted a second tree in the spring of 2025, hoping it would establish itself and become the focal point I had originally envisioned. It appeared to settle in well during its first growing season, but by the end of winter, things were not looking promising.
Most of the needles had turned brown, and the tree appeared to be dead. I never determined the exact cause. My best guess is that the combination of winter cold and a lack of moisture caused winter desiccation before the young tree had fully established its root system.
Busy with the front yard landscaping projects undertaken this spring, I neglected the pine and postponed dealing with it until later in the summer—most likely to remove it. Instead, I removed all of the dead needles, cleaned up the branches, and left the tree alone. There wasn't much else to do except hope that a few dormant buds had survived beneath the bark.
To my surprise, they had.
 |
| July 8 |
Today, fresh candles have emerged across most of the branches, producing healthy new growth. The pine certainly looks a little unusual at the moment, with foliage concentrated only where the new buds have broken.
Even so, it is alive and showing encouraging signs of recovery. If it continues to regain its strength over the next few seasons, its irregular branching pattern may actually lend itself nicely to cloud pruning, creating a more mature and natural appearance than I had originally planned.
The tree wasn't the only part of Turtle Island that needed some attention.
The original "feet" plantings, consisting of 'Silver Mound' Artemisia, had never really developed as I had hoped and were beginning to look untidy.
The tree wasn't the only part of Turtle Island that needed some attention.
The original "feet" plantings, consisting of 'Silver Mound' Artemisia, had never really developed as I had hoped and were beginning to look untidy.
As a result, I replaced them with four Rock 'N Round 'Bundle of Joy' sedum. Their bright yellow blooms provide a cheerful splash of color while remaining compact enough to preserve the turtle's overall shape.
 |
| Turtle Head |
 |
| Turtle Tail |
To finish the refresh, I spread a new layer of mulch throughout the bed. Besides giving the garden a cleaner, more finished appearance, the mulch will help conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.
This little Japanese Black Pine still has a long way to go, and there's no guarantee it will fully recover.
But after looking almost completely dead only a few months ago, seeing fresh candles emerge feels like a small victory. Sometimes the best thing a gardener can do is be patient and let nature have the final say.
