To all the ladies....

Today is my 5 year wedding anniversary. Being the stooge that I am, I did not know that the 5 year anniversary is the wooden anniversary (what a putz). So before I blow the opportunity to get my wife, and therefore myself, a tree for our anniversary, I will ask your opinions of which one you’d prefer as a anniversary gift. I may choose to totally ignore your opinions, as well as my wife's preferences, and go with the tree that I want, but hey, isn't that what marriage is all about :)

Here is what I am thinking for trees:

1. Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eye'
2. Cornus alternifolia 'Golden Shadows'
3. Nyssa sylvatica 'Autumn Cascades'

I am trying to pick stuff that would be harder to find locally so I can stomach the high shipping costs and also give her HER gift before May.

Willis "the Romantic"

Not a lady, but I will say this: putzes don't plan ahead for anniversary presents, so you're doing good! I like the Cornus ideas, they might be in bloom during future anniversaries, potentially affording you some slack if you should forget the big day down the road a few years. Not familiar with tupelos, maybe it blooms then, too. Are their flowers showy?

You missed the TODAY part. I'm still a putz.

Not much flowers here in mid January unless my two other ladies, Diane and Vanessa, get duped by some warm weather. Diane is a witch and Vanessa is Persian.

Willis de Bergerac

Edited to add that the Tupelo would mainly be for fall color and form.

This message was edited Jan 19, 2007 1:15 PM

Why don't you give her the wood she wants? I'm thinking something long-lived, with a well-earned reputation for staying put. No suggestions for you, but something that will have a great chance to live long and prosper on the site you've selected. IMHO, planting something temperamental like C. alternifolia 'Golden Shadows' is asking for trouble. Mine suffered an agonizing death, and even a putz (and klutz) like me knows that's not the message you want to send your soul mate (or wife for that matter). You don't happen to live in Romeoville do you?

That's priceless Maackia! I just sprayed a mouthful of Coke all over my computer! You owe me.

Still, a Cornus for an anniversary. Cornus for "corny?" Or, perhaps, "carnal?"

I might second Maackia's advice on a good, stout, solid performer. No, withering dogwoods steadily going south over a couple of years will prove a difficult and uncomfortable symbolism to ignore. Perhaps a good, fastigiate oak would be a better choice?

Scott

My wife is 36 weeks pregnant, so Maackia's suggestion might have to wait a while. If I am curt with my reply, then you shall know why :)

The locations that I currently have available won't work for an oak. I was also looking for something with flowers (alright the Nyssa is my own selection) that she would like. I have some larger conifers selected for a backdrop for this area, but the location is perfect for understory trees like those cornus.

Maackia, I thought the Golden Shadows was supposedly tougher than the Argentea, but I have never tried either.

You guys are reading too much into the symbolism of the plant. :) I just wanted to seize the opportunity that the "wooden" anniversary provides ME with.

Willis

Edited to add, sorry Maackia I don't live in Romeoville. I am a happy resident of The Lilac Village, Lombard, IL.

This message was edited Jan 19, 2007 3:53 PM

Willis "Amorphophallus" McKenna:

Claypot was right. You probably intended to surprise your wife with the gift this evening, so by starting to peruse your options around lunch time is planning ahead. No putzage there.

If romantically inclined to stun my leading lady with my incredibly sensitive nature, I'd light the candles, turn on the soft Vivaldi in the background, pop the 1997 Chianti Classico Riserva from the little Tuscan villa we stayed at in 2000, then kick back on the couch till she got dinner on the table (grilled duck breast, roasted red peppers/onions, lightly sauteed thin sliced potatoes).

At that point, with the appropriately nuanced anniversary card ensconced in a hand-grown bouquet of her favorite flowers, I'd present the idea of taking a nice long weekend in a warmer part of the country to personally visit and select the species of tree that will be the aforementioned anniversary gift. There'll be a dozen or more places you could choose from with arboretums to tour, or nurseries to ogle, and well before northern IL ever even thinks about thawing.

John (aka Valentine Valley)

I love Cornus Kousa Wolf Eye. I wish somebody would give it to me! Not likely, One of these days Ill give it to myself.

Okey Dokey,
I must admit you young guys with stars in your eyes are very cute but some what miss guided. VV was on target with a shared memory mixed with passion. A couple of suggestions from an old gal who is still in love after a couple of hippie years + 27 years of marriage.
#1. Your thought and effort is EVERYTHING. So even if the gift is last minute don't ever let her know.
#2. No matter what you truly believe...your wife is always correct no matter what.
#3. A tree for your wooden anniversary is thoughtful and something that future generations might refer to...but if only the the tree is what was your wife's most romantic desire.
#4. If you believe a tree can support an anniversary, imagine what it can do in terms of an apology. Some of our longest discords were immediately resolved by a holly in the back of the pick up truck.
Happy Anniversary
kt

The Hawthorn represents true love, partneship, and commitment and is referred to as "The Marriage Tree" The Crab Apple is referred to as "The Tree of Love". Happy anniversary.

Shapeless! Shapeless! I have half a mind to post a picture Viburnum. I suspect that would be my last posting.

We decided on the kousa provided people don't have bad things to say about it. Do the flowers look bad against the variegation? The tree was a bonus to the anniversary, not the sole gift or gesture. What year anniversary is pine or japanese maple?

How romantic of you to sit back with a nice bottle of wine and watch you wife cook, although the menu sounds appetizing. No long weekends for a while. Have to wait until the baby is born then sleeps through the night at least.

Willis

willis_mckenna: Hope your wife loves the Wolf Eye Dogwood, and I hope the new arrival will love it, too. You could call (him) Wolfgang. Well, I guess that would not go with a girl baby and all the McKenna's I know are Irish.

Willis:

Say hey! It's not polite to watch; that'd totally ruin the mystery...

Hope the anniversary and the blessed moment are/will have gone well. Can't comment on the "half a mind".

'Wolf Eye' dogwood's show is the variegated foliage, and the umbrella-like form. The flowers kind of are lost against the white variegation but I wouldn't describe them as looking bad.

Runk:

I absolutely agree with everything you say -- it has gotten us to the 20 year threshold this year.

Levililac:

Hawthorn? The Marriage Tree? Wonder what moniker this gets...twu wuv?

UGH. I would much prefer a Wolf Eye Dogwood.

I invested in 12 of them awhile back. Wolf Eye is a GORGEOUS plant.

Your wife really must be thinking how brilliant you are right about now.

Yes SP...entangled in marriage.....(thorns and all).....I am up to 30 years the second time around.

Willis - So you gave her the Wolf Eye (again, LOL) I take it? Why not plan ahead and order a 'Princess Diana' Amelanchier canadensis for Valentine's Day, that would be so romantick.

Prairie Girl: You got a picture of that Amelanchier? I may have to give myself a valentines day present, as well as celebrate McKenna's anniversary.

You know what? I think I might buy MYSELF a tree, too, in celebration of the McKenna's anniversary! Indeed. Now, I'm off to find my wish list in order to cross off one more of those buggers. Gloria, what a brilliant idea! I can't wait to tell my wife.

Scott

I took the liberty of finding this information for Willis (and the rest of us Putzus stoogicarpa):

Anniversary--Traditional Gift-------Modern Gift

First------------------Paper------------------Clocks
Second-------------Cotton------------------China
Third-----------------Leather----------------Crystal / Glass
Fourth---------------Fruit / Flowers-------Appliances
Fifth------------------Wood------------------Silverware
Sixth-----------------Candy / Iron----------Wood
Seventh-------------Wool / Copper------Desk Sets
Eighth---------------Bronze / Pottery-----Linens / Lace
Ninth-----------------Pottery / Willow------Leather
Tenth----------------Tin / Aluminum-------Diamond Jewelry
Eleventh------------Steel--------------------Fashion Jewelry
Twelfth--------------Silk/Linen--------------Pearls
Thirteenth----------Lace--------------------Textiles / Furs
Fourteenth---------Ivory---------------------Gold Jewelry
Fifteenth-----------Crystal------------------Watches
Twentieth----------China-------------------Platinum
Twenty-Fifth-------Silver-------------------Silver
Thirtieth-------------Pearl-------------------Diamond
Thirty-Fifth---------Coral-------------------Jade
Fortieth-------------Ruby--------------------Ruby
Forty-Fifth---------Sapphire--------------Sapphire
Fiftieth--------------Gold--------------------Gold
Fifty-Fifth-----------Emerald--------------Emerald
Sixtieth-------------Diamond--------------Diamond

Hmmm...I notice a little grade inflation in the modern gift column. What does that portend?

I also notice that there are significant anniversaries (from personal experience) left out, to wit:

Sixteenth----------Typewriter-------------Laptop
Seventeenth------Wine-------------------Mangotini
Eighteenth--------Shovel-----------------Electric start tiller
Nineteenth--------Parcheesi------------Wii

Some I (I mean, my lovely wife) still have soon to look forward to:

Twenty-oneth-----Viburnum-------------Viburnum
Twenty-tooth------Willow water---------Dip-N-Grow
Twenty-third-------Weedeater-----------Landscape service
Twenty-fourth-----Old milk crates------Climate controlled tropical hardwood custom cellar

Ahh...romance!



Edited for tabular clarity

This message was edited Jan 20, 2007 7:53 PM

Mine will be our seventh, so I'll be going for the wool/copper desk set? Um, let me know when that becomes available. =))

sorry, I get it now.

This message was edited Jan 20, 2007 6:55 PM

Thanks for posting the list. I'll have to share that tidbit with da wife about the 6th anniversary gift being wood. I didn't realize that the name of the anniversary didn't correspond to the gift. I guess that Dirca will have to wait until year 9.

Willis

Ah, someone gets me, LOL.

Seems to me you can be traditional one year and modern the next and
get two years of trees Willis!
Tam

It looks like I will have to slay an elephant...the things I do for my wife....

Kevin ~ There's gold in them thar hills! LOL

If we all edit the wikipedia list, then we can show our spouses what the traditional gifts should be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anniversary_gifts#Anniversary_symbols

Looks like da wife will be planting an oak over my 107 year old corpse on our 80th anniversary. I guess that is better than dancing on it.

Willis

What does an "oak anniversary" really mean?

It means that like an old oak, you've been around a very long time and weathered many storms. ;)

...or that compared to the early (5th) wood anniversary, you're now petrified.

Oh come on, I can't believe you all have such a strong sense of decorum that there has been no reference to the hard wood of an old oak tree. kt

...or the fact that no man has failed to deliver the correct gift on their 5th anniversary?

I'm coming in late, as usual, but I really think we should all honor Willis' anniversary by immediately purchasing a Wolf Eye. what do I get for thirty-ninth? that's my next.

for the thirty-ninth you get to pick what we are all going to buy next in honor of YOUR anniversary!

Yuck, Yuck, Yuck, Kevin!

gloria, sounds good to me

What about that amelanchier Prairie Girl mentioned a while ago?

You people just gave me a lot of laughs, so now I guess i will go to bed happy. Willis hope you had a happy anniversary.

Donna

Here's a link to the amelanchier I mentioned before, 'Princess Diana.' It was selected for its large flowers and brilliant red fall color.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/images/amelanchier/amelanchier_princessdiana.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/cultivars/amelanchier_xgrandi-pridia.html&h=360&w=238&sz=33&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=uOs-S8WdBURFeM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=80&prev=/images%3Fq%3Damelanchier%2Bx%2Bgrandiflora%2BPrincess%2BDiana%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

It's a nice one, PrairieGirl. and amelanchier is also on my list. my anniversary is Sept 7...everybody mark it on their calendars as amelanchier 'Princess Diana' day LOL

now somebody else pick. by the end of the year, we'll all have the best trees and shrubs in our yards.