Trees and other green things...

Sharran · Joined: 07 Jan 2009 Posts: 50

I have a very serious thing about trees. When we moved into this house in 1974, there was one teeny magnolia tree, not much bigger than I am, and two very young maple seedlings. Well, there was the huge old ash tree in the back yard.

Over the years, I have accumulated a few more trees. It all started that first year we moved here. I couldn't figure out why I was bordering on lonely, until it occurred to me that I was very far from the mountains where I grew up. I was missing them, and I was missing trees. I knew I couldn't build myself a mountain, but I could plant a tree or two.

We didn't have much money in those days, what with two kids and a dog to feed and clothe. Well, not clothes for the dog, but still....

Anyway, I thought I'd feel better if I had more trees.

Over the years those trees found me. I planted a red bud from an older friend, then a crabapple from a neighbor. When our maple tree seedlings grew large enough, I planted one of them in the back yard. Then I decided I needed a couple of cedars from the mountains, so with that 600 mile round trip accomplished, it still looked a little bare, so I planted a Japanese maple.

Soon after that, a friend of mine took me for a jaunt to her old homeplace, and I got a couple of wisteria seedlings that I trained to grow up broomsticks, and now they are wonderful trees with their little vines woven and braided around themselves till they now stand straight up by their own strength. They are about 10 or 15 feet tall.

Then there was the holly the birds planted near my deck. I let it grow, and now it is a bird haven at 20 or more feet. Lovely little thing. I have another one also planted by the birds in my front yard. It is not quite that tall yet.

In the meantime, everything was growing, and growing, and growing. One day I realized I had an oak tree growing in the flowerbed, so I transplanted it around to the side of the house, now that oak is quite stately at about 50 feet, and produces enough acorns to keep the squirrels happy.

But that wasn't enough, I bought a scraggly, nearly dead bald cypress seedling one year for 50 cents, guaranteed not to grow, and let me tell you, that 30 foot tall beauty is gorgeous in fall. It's little needles turn just like the maples, and drop off, leaving it's graceful lacy branches bare in the winter.

The crabapple tree met its demise in a windstorm one year, so one of the hollies is now taking its place. The birds loved that crabapple. Sad to lose it.

Now you have to remember, I have less than an acre of land, and I have 8 flower beds that are glorious in summer. But I needed one more tree. Recently at a gathering of gardening friends I was given a mimosa tree. It's about 4 feet tall now, and just as cute as a bug. I know it will be a pain someday when its blooms float around in the breeze and cover my house and yard, but oh they are so pretty. So now I have another tree.

I lost the gorgeous magnolia to the spring rains a few years ago. It was about to tear itself out of the ground, it was leaning at such a precarious angle, so was the old ash in the back yard. I told the tree guy to please cut them down while I was at school. I could not bear to see them destroyed. But I was very fortunate in that I saved a seed pod, and now have the baby of that lovely magnolia. I did not get a seed or a start from the ash.

Oh, but we aren't through yet. A couple of years ago a friend gave me two small raintrees. Remember Elizabeth Taylor in Raintree County many years ago? Well, I have two raintrees, real beauties now.

One of my students brought me a scraggly smoke tree one day, her dad had a plant nursery and he was getting ready to throw the smoke tree away, but she thought I might be able to bring it back to life. I did, and now it is very nearly as tall as the house.

So let me see, in my little world, I have two Japanese maples, though one is not very big. I have a red maple and a yellow one that are huge, and another yellow maple my kids and I started from seed. I have two wisterias, a redbud, an oak, two cedars, a bald cypress, and a mimosa. Oh, and the little 10 foot magnolia and the two rain trees.
And then there are the two half grown hollies and the smoke tree.

I've been thinking about maybe getting a dogwood. Hmmmm....

I still miss my mountains, but oh, how I love my trees.

Welcome to the jungle.

God's Warrior · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:02 am Post subject:

What a lovely article. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and memories of the trees in your beautiful garden. I have similar thoughts and memories in my own garden that I need to share somewhere here at TGP. Hummmm! You have given me some good ideas and memories. I once did a program at my gardening club about my memory garden so I need to think back over that and let my somewhat limited creative writing abilities start to work for me once again. Thanks for setting my brain working on that and many thanks for the (as always) charming article you just wrote..

CajuninKy · Joined: 24 May 2006 Posts: 554 Location: Kentucky

Surely you won't leave us hanging without a picture of your lovely trees!!!! I am fortunate to have both mountains and trees in my yard. I also have a creek and I know I am blessed. I can hardly wait for my DGSs to come spend the summer with me and explore my new place.