One of the things I definitely do like living in Indiana is all the trees. In L.A., where I lived for a decade, it was mostly palms and conifers, and then Joshua trees further out. And they’re not all that attractive to me in comparison. Our house used to be surrounded by giant oaks that it was built around. Unfortunately we lost some in recent storms and others were too sick to not be a danger. We still have, I think, 5 of them left and a persimmon tree. We also have a playground that we’re going to dismantle and replace with another tree. Something local that grows relatively rapidly. Maybe a pawpaw? Not sure yet. Terre Haute, where I live, is famous for its sycamores (to the point that it’s the ISU sports team is the Sycamores), so that’s an option, but they’re kind of boring trees IMO.
Terre Haute sounds great! I live up by Elkhart, and while we have way too much farmland, I can’t deny how great our forests are up here. We have bogs, too, which are just magical ecosystems.
It’s not great at all aside from the trees and a handful of other things.
Or, I guess, if you really like meth.
Also, this place is a very depressed community. About $40,000 a year average household income, so between that and all the meth, the crime rate is also pretty terrible.
That said, I’ve never been to Elkhart, so I don’t know what it’s like.
Indiana has remarkable nature, especially in the central and southern state. Not too far from you is Shades SP, I would strongly recommend you check out the Turkey Backbone. It’s terrifying but amazing. The flora of that region is a remnant of pre-glacial flooding Indiana, and one can find stands of uncommon conifers there like Tsuga canadensis (Eastern hemlock), and some Populus deltoides (cottonwood) specimens that get over 120 ft tall.
That said, Indiana is a terribly, intractibly backwards state with a rotten culture of meathead “conservatism”, Amish fetishism and drug use. My city is rather progressive compared to many neighboring (my old town used to be the Klan capital of the world, and the dragon whatever still lives there), but even with that the quantity of red hats is eyebrow-raising. I’m afraid Indiana will never get out of this hole. It truly is the “south of the north”, as they call it.
I have a giant oak tree next to my house, perfectly positioned so that my house is in direct sunlight in the morning but completely shaded by the tree from noon onwards, so even when it’s 100°F outside my house doesn’t get above the low 80s. I love that tree - except for right now when I have to rake the fucking yard.
One of the things I definitely do like living in Indiana is all the trees. In L.A., where I lived for a decade, it was mostly palms and conifers, and then Joshua trees further out. And they’re not all that attractive to me in comparison. Our house used to be surrounded by giant oaks that it was built around. Unfortunately we lost some in recent storms and others were too sick to not be a danger. We still have, I think, 5 of them left and a persimmon tree. We also have a playground that we’re going to dismantle and replace with another tree. Something local that grows relatively rapidly. Maybe a pawpaw? Not sure yet. Terre Haute, where I live, is famous for its sycamores (to the point that it’s the ISU sports team is the Sycamores), so that’s an option, but they’re kind of boring trees IMO.
Terre Haute sounds great! I live up by Elkhart, and while we have way too much farmland, I can’t deny how great our forests are up here. We have bogs, too, which are just magical ecosystems.
It’s not great at all aside from the trees and a handful of other things.
Or, I guess, if you really like meth.
Also, this place is a very depressed community. About $40,000 a year average household income, so between that and all the meth, the crime rate is also pretty terrible.
That said, I’ve never been to Elkhart, so I don’t know what it’s like.
Indiana has remarkable nature, especially in the central and southern state. Not too far from you is Shades SP, I would strongly recommend you check out the Turkey Backbone. It’s terrifying but amazing. The flora of that region is a remnant of pre-glacial flooding Indiana, and one can find stands of uncommon conifers there like Tsuga canadensis (Eastern hemlock), and some Populus deltoides (cottonwood) specimens that get over 120 ft tall.
That said, Indiana is a terribly, intractibly backwards state with a rotten culture of meathead “conservatism”, Amish fetishism and drug use. My city is rather progressive compared to many neighboring (my old town used to be the Klan capital of the world, and the dragon whatever still lives there), but even with that the quantity of red hats is eyebrow-raising. I’m afraid Indiana will never get out of this hole. It truly is the “south of the north”, as they call it.
I have a giant oak tree next to my house, perfectly positioned so that my house is in direct sunlight in the morning but completely shaded by the tree from noon onwards, so even when it’s 100°F outside my house doesn’t get above the low 80s. I love that tree - except for right now when I have to rake the fucking yard.
That’s really awesome. Our trees basically stop all but a tiny sliver of sunlight from getting to the house, but it’s still worth it.
That said, it’s better to not rake at all.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/to-rake-or-not-to-rake-expert-tips-for-eco-friendly-autumnal-lawn-care
Ya, where I live, trees don’t necessarily grow even along the river or in the mountains. Berry season is great, tho!