This afternoon I spoke with a neighbor who mows the next-door-neighbor's yard, and we were looking at this little tree that has failed to thrive since a commercial nursery planted it for her last spring. Turns out they didn't plant it properly and a piece of heavy plastic ribbon was slowly girdling the tree below the dirt level (and it was planted too deep).

I'll do some time on Saturday digging up that tree for her and replanting it correctly.

SRS