Trees

Trees always seemed to me to be outside of the world of gardening … at least, my world, I guess. Oh, they’re all around, and particularly beautiful in spring bloom or fall colors, but mostly I thought of them – when I thought of them at all – as either 1) something to keep my sun-loving plants away from, or 2) creating shade gardens that seemed particularly challenging. Oh, and 3) expensive to purchase, and therefore out of my budget range.

Now I’m becoming increasingly entranced by trees. There are the utilitarian ones I’ve planted over the years – apples, for instance; the more I learn about them, and the whole subject of grafting onto root stock, the more intrigued I am. We inherited a number of ancient apples with this farm, totally neglected for years; they look like venerable elders to me. One in particular, way out in the back field, is so battered, scarred, and split open that it’s hard to believe it’s still alive … but not only is it alive, but still blossoming and bearing fruit.

This tree makes me think of several people I know who are in their 90s, still vital and engaged with life … as if they’re all saying, hey! I’m not done yet!

Several years ago I joined the National Arbor Day Foundation, after getting one of those offers in the mail … I think it was $15 to join, and they’d send a dozen or so young trees. Twigs, was more like it; a small bundle of the most unimpressive little sticks with bare roots, which seemed utterly ridiculous to me at the time. But I followed the directions and planted them in a nursery bed.

It’s been perhaps five years now, maybe six; nearly all have grown, and have been moved to various parts of the yard. And a few of them have done astoundingly well. Here, for example, is an Eastern Redbud that I transplanted two years ago into one of my gardens… and I left the mower in the photo for perspective.

I love to wander through garden centers and nurseries, looking at the trees; but the price tags are still prohibitive to me. Wouldn’t it be great if we could purchase a much smaller version, and then nurture it ourselves? My heart’s desire is to plant two maples in our yard, knowing that our 50+-year-old willow is past its prime, and not wanting a totally empty expanse when it goes. But at $150-200 each, maples are mighty pricey! So this spring, I’ve been digging and potting some of the little maple seedlings I find around the edges here; nothing to lose, and if they grow even half as well as those little twigs that came in the mail, I’ll have some nice small trees in a few years.