Bismarck's beautiful landscaping is sprouting into full bloom, and with it, the care and maintenance that our citizens enjoy in doing and viewing. However, there are some problems with trees that I'd like to help solve. It actually applies nationwide.

The misuse of string trimmers is killing and damaging trees by the thousands in Bismarck. The bark at ground level is unnoticeably being ripped and shredded on young trees and chiseled away on mature trees by well-meaning homeowners and lawn-care specialists, as well as tax-paid public employers.

Riding and push mowers are also doing their equal share of debarking by careless operators. At best, a mulch-covered water basin should be provided for trees to enhance their care and keep misguided powered equipment away. At the least, an adequate protective guard should be installed around the base. I've often seen these guards, in the lighter plastic forms, useless in protecting trees from string trimmers in the hands of those after every last blade of grass at the tree's base.

A case to prove my point: this last Sunday, my daughters and I enjoyed a picnic at Kiwanis Park, on the only park table that had so far made its way into the open from winter storage under a shelter. Near a playground, where we could also enjoy the children playing, were four dead and dying trees surrounding our table. My investigation found severely damaged bark from lawn mower and string trimmer abuse on each of them. On the way back to the car, I notice bark chunks torn from old mature cottonwoods at lawn-mower level - tax dollars at work.

Park board, city forester, state and county forest manager, grounds maintenance, lawn-care specialist and homeowners: It's high time to consider better care of our beautiful trees. Let a little grass grow around their feet.