When I was a kid, I sang, “Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush. Here we go round the mulberry bush, on a cold and frosty morning.” Yep, I sang it as an adult, too,… until this year when, rather than springing to life, my weeping mulberry seems to be checking in to hospice. Rather than weeping, I decided to honor its amazing sculptural structure by planting clematis at its base. Hopefully, the vine will run up into the branches and magically transform the tree into an umbrella of color. It’s a Life 101 lesson: When things aren’t looking good, don’t stand there and cry. Figure out your back up plan!
