Sixteen years ago we restored a family bungalow built originally in 1930. The yard was overgrown, volunteer trees rising up from under foundations, a huge walnut stump in the black topped driveway, oxalis from the front yard to the back, wild Siberian irises against the fence and callas against the house foundation. It took a lot of time, labor and money to turn the yard into a garden.

We had the huge walnut stump removed and the black top broken up by tractor. We turned the driveway into a courtyard. My husband, who grew up on a fruit ranch in Vacaville, ordered two specialty bare-root cherry trees that were planted in the courtyard. The trees were beautiful and provided us with years of delicious 'Bing'- like cherries. Our cherries were the hit of the neighborhood, our friends and children.

Several years ago we lost the cherry crop to the Spotted Wing Drosophila. The fruit had been pierced by the flies, laying their eggs under the cherry skins. The eggs hatched and maggots develop inside the fruit. Seeing tiny white maggots in our cherries was very disappointing. The following year we sprayed with spinosad regularly, trying to salvage the cherry crop. Meanwhile, one of the trees began having its own struggle. Though we had painted the trunk white from the beginning, the bark had split and peeled displaying sun damage. Then we noticed borer holes in the trunk and into the branches.

Cherry trees in general are difficult to keep alive. Not liking wet feet, they are susceptible to brown rot, bacterial canker, root and crown rots and many viruses. They have a high chill requirement that is a problem with Vacaville winters getting warmer and warmer.

We decided that one of the cherry trees needed to be removed. This was a difficult decision. My husband cut the tree down and cut the wood into cords that we gave away. We had the stump dug out and removed. After much research, my husband chose to replace the cherry tree with a bare root specialty peach tree. In our garden, we have another full-grown peach tree that my husband has grafted with several different varieties of peaches over the past several years. It produces delicious peaches from July to September, providing us with fruit and jams.

Our new tree has been planted, cut to 2 feet tall and painted with white latex paint (50/50). We are waiting to see it sprout with growth and look forward to the fruit it will provide in the future.