My Catalpa looks about the same here near minneapolis. it was sold as a northern catalpa but turned out to be southern catalpa. Not sure why if finally succumbed this year because it wasn’t that cold. It made it through several polar vortices with just some minor tip dieback but the trunk did crack one year.

I have clients at all budget levels and it's just common sense to view one's home / real estate through the filter of "increasing the value or decreasing the value". Realtors do it all time. I have no problem harnessing my consultation to my client's criteria whether it's monetary or a paint color. I have perfect faith in my ability to design a solution (at any price point) that a client will care about and want to implement. I say that from experience not from ego. One of my first questions to homeowner's usually is related to how long they plan to live in the home and their answer helps me guide my "best advice" for them from there. Sometimes we do have to give a client disappointing answers or help them dial down their remodel or improvement ambitions but, that just goes with the territory. Nevertheless "design" planning has value whether improving a reading corner or a whole house. It doesn't just change the home or room, it can change us inside and we can bloom. I do not depend on "trends" for my consultation and recommendations to a client but, it can be very inspiring and exciting for all of us to see what sellers are bringing to the market place. I find new things inspiring and worth sharing all the time. Who's to say if it becomes, a "trend" or not. I care about good design solutions. And, I always love being excited and amazed by NEW things and I love having excited and inspired clients! I will never never tire of that! Above I've posted a cool item saved recently! I love how "texture" is becoming appreciated and sought after as another tool in the design tool box at last!

It could be that you have dogs that like to pee in roughly the same spot every day. If that is the case you can treat the area to applying table sugar to the area at a rate of 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Or, the spots are where water accumulates after irrigation/rain. If that is the case, then you have a fungal disease that will not clear up until next April. When were the last two times you fertilized and what did you use? What is your watering schedule (frequency and for how long)?

I'm not sure when this happened, but it has two branches, and the leaves on each look very different from the other. Is this common? An inexplicable aberration?