The Murder of the Regal Privet

This is the time of the year for Regal privet to bloom. The fence across Poplar Pike from Satinwood drive has an abundance of the flowering privet now.

Regal privet May 18, 2014 north of the railroad tracks at Poplar Pike and Satinwood Dr.

Closer view of the same plant

These plants are very showy when in bloom.  I had posted Regal pivet before as tree #17 in the Memphis Trees Continued post, but the plant was not flowering then. 

The two block section of Poplar east of Papa Johns and south of the Jewish Community Center had a solid wall of this privet up to the Carre Four Mall. I was looking forward to seeing this massive hedge in bloom, but this week this is what I saw instead. 

Welcome to Germantown

Just past the Germantown sign the stumps of the privet are in view. The whole two block section of the road is like this as shown in the next few pictures.

The ruined muddy space between the curb and the apartments is like the Desolation of Smaug. At the time I stopped to take these pictures, another man had stopped and got out of his car with a cell phone. He was also taking a picture. I asked him if he was documenting the hedge destruction and he said no. He owns the corner lot and he was trying to sell it so they could put a restaurant there. He wanted a picture of the property. I asked him about the hedge and he thought the City of Germantown did the clear cutting. I does start just past the Welcome to Germantown sign.  

Perhaps they want to put in a sidewalk. 

I can only imagine if this was done by the city of Germantown they must have voted on it in a city council meeting. What possible justification for this destruction could be found in the archives? I wonder.

                                                             RIP

What regal privet can be like

Corner of Shady Grove and Shady Grove Terrace, May 20, 2014

The owners of this corner lot have planted regal privet hedge on both Shady Grove and Shady Grove Terrace, wrapping around the Y intersection in this scenic part of Shady Grove. All together there must be 200 feet of this delightful green wave. The flowers are fading now. They had their prime a few days earlier (see the May 18 picture above of a different plant). The next view is looking down Shady Grove Terrace. This gives the scale of the hedge. The Poplar hedge used to be like this before someone made a decision to rip it out. 

Magnificent regal privet hedge down the length of Shady Grove Terrace