One of life’s joys is encountering someone who has similar interests and something in common with you.  Simple concept, but so true.  Here at Graf Tree Care, once in a great while we cross paths with someone who can match our enthusiasm about trees.  This person may be an associate from another tree care company, one of our vendors, or in this case, one of our very own customers.

This month, we’d like to feature one of our very best and favorite long-time customers, Jeanne Person.  Jeanne has a great passion for trees, and it really shows. She is a true advocate of trees and tree care.  Over the past few years it has been a privilege to work with Jeanne on her personal “arboretum”. On her St. Charles lot Jeanne has some awesome and uncommon trees, such as Dawn Redwood, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood, Fringe Tree, Limber Pine, Katsura, YellowHorn,  Harry Lauder Walking Stick Tree, and a native understory Blue Beech.

The largest and most impressive tree on this lot is pictured here both as it stands today, and as it appeared in years gone by, circa 1978.  It is a stately Honey Locust in the back yard, planted by Jeanne’s family in 1971. This tree was purchased from Wasco Nursery in a one gallon container at a total cost of $8.  Other than an old Osage Orange Tree in the corner of the lot believed to be part of the original hedge row of the Anderson Farm in this location, the Honey Locust is one of the oldest standing trees in the neighborhood.

Now surrounded by other trees and homes, this forty year old Honey Locust is in our hands. Its elegance spreads over three separate residential properties providing aesthetic value, much needed filtered shade to the homes and landscapes below, and it has been a waystation for 37 species of migrating birds.

Jeanne is also responsible for our newest tagline, "A Green Planet Starts with your Trees!"

The following is a quote from Jeanne:

"From set-up to clean-up and all the careful pruning in between, Graf Tree Care’s staff are professional, diligent, and congenial workers. They are knowledgeable of a wealth of trees and well versed in the art of good tree care. I am particularly pleased they climb the trees instead of using machines. And they are respectful of other plant material beneath the canopy of the tree being pruned. Thanks for another job well done."

Thank you, Jeanne Person.