One Billion Trees

There is definitely something about oak trees. In our last house, we had a very large oak tree in the back yard. I loved that tree and watched for it to leaf out each year. It was always the last tree to get leaves. I had put a garden underneath it, with a 'sitting' rock. When we left, I knew I would continue to miss that tree and I really still do. We have an absolutely HUGE bigleaf maple tree in our back yard, which is quite nice, but it's not quite an oak, you know? The house I have now used to have an oak in the back yard and it was cut down years ago for some reason. The stump still sprouts branches and now it grows a bit like a large oak 'shrub'. It's not particularly attractive, but I leave it because it's the only oak I have. I do get baby Garry Oak trees that come up frequently. I'm letting some grow up in the front area. They are slow growers, though. This entire area used to be oak prairie and there is very little of that natural ecosystem left. It's really quite sad.

If I could figure out how to get my photos out of Picasa I could post them. lol I am so computer dumb sometimes.

Ohhh, Ponditis you have my full sympathy! But if I can manage it so can you. Come on, show us your tree.

Actually, Murmur, would you post a picture of the area that you are going to sow the Oaks - it would be lovely to have a before and (sometime in the future) after record.

This message was edited Nov 24, 2006 6:54 AM

I love this thread! Trees do mean so much currently and historically. I have a favorite too: the ancient elm in my Mom's yard in MN. Growing up, our town was a lovely, lazy berg with wide streets lined with 100+ yr old elms. Huge elms lined the main street with large branches arching across from either side either greeting or waving goodbye as you entered or left the center of town. I'll never forget the first time I went back to visit after Dutch Elm disease had wiped out about 90% of the elms in town in the 80's. That beautiful hill driving into town was barren! Cement! Sidewalks! Asphalt! Naked little houses with bare yards once protected by lovely shade, then nothing but toasted grass.

Our beloved backyard elm, recorded on the MN Registry of Elms of Distinction (or some such list) by virtue of age and size of trunk, was at dire risk. My mom has worked for 20+years with the city foresters, state foresters, experts from the U of MN and spent thousands on treatment, carefully having at risk branches removed when they show up. The Elm Lives! It has been a haven for birds, squirrels, adventurous climbing kids, and a shadow for a beautiful swath of shade gardens.

Every time I visit, I marvel at the elm and we all worry about the day it might have to come down once and for all. At 86 and an avid gardener, I think the loss of the elm would put a dent in my mom's psyche that could not be overcome. She has worked so hard on her gardens, her little backyard haven, I truly think she would be crushed as her shade garden would be lost. So loved is the elm that I did take a photo in October! It isn't nearly as full or lush as in its glorious past, many large branches have been cut away, but it still greets us, and protects the yard like a wonderful green umbrella.

Part of the shade bed, 50 years of composting has left just marvelous soil for the hosta.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/poochella/shade%20garden/momsbackhostasinlight.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/poochella/shade%20garden/MomshostabedJune06.jpg

Pochella - that hosta garden is magnificent! What are the pink flowers that punctuate the resplendent foliage?

I'll tell her you like it Estreya. I wish I had photos of the other shade sections with ninebark, astilbe, ginger, bleeding heart, ligularia, more hosta, more everything I can't recall, all accessible with pathways of rock she hauled and lay herself. She is quite an artistic planner and, sadly, I got none of those artsy genes LOL!

The low variegated foliage with pink blooms is lamium. Hers behaves well. Here it sprawls and spreads all over whether in shade or full sun. I have some I'd gladly send you in warmer weather.

Poochella, I'm shocked at you!! :) The idea of offering lamium to a friend!
That hosta garden under the elm is stunning! What a great thing that your mom is still gardening. I can only aspire to be like her. I love it that she worked so hard to save that lovely tree. It stands proudly!

LOL: I have white and lavender lamium too! Would you like some Pixy?

Poochella, i'm thrilled at your offer! Thank you! I hadn't decided where to put a hosta garden of my very own, but i so love what you've shown here that i think i'll try to replicate it to the best of my ability.

On another note, my husband and i spent the morning (the bulk of the day actually) at a Planning Commission hearing where we gave testimony that we hope will one day save a few trees (among other things). There's a traffic circulation proposal floating around that threatens to turn the two lane road at our main intersection into five. I'll spare you the gory details, but suffice to say we learned today that we're going to have to remain informed and pro-active if we're to have any influence over the direction of "progress."

This message was edited Nov 28, 2006 8:29 PM

Pooch how great to have that elm tree in your family. I am sure it is wonderful. lol on the lamium. Mine sprawls but doesn't seem to choke things out. yet

I used to love my Grandma's garden in Minnesota. Sadly her beautiful yard is now under a parking lot and the home my grandfather built was moved to a different town I hear. I have planted trees here in their memory and will continue to plant trees in memory of others I have known and loved.

Lani

Poochella - I logged on for a couple of minutes just before work - just doodling around, and I was just overwhelmed by your Elm tree. And what a lovely lovely telling of the tale of your family involvement with it. Just lovely - I am green with warm-as-toast envy.

Ain't it the truth, Estreya! There's a company here in WA state that moves large trees to save them. I wonder if they would be interested in the trees in that path of 'progress'. I'll look for the link.

Gee whiz, poochella. Thanks so much for the offer of the lamium (NOT!!) but I'll pass for now (and FOREVER!) on it. I had that at my previous house in this zone and I believe by the time I moved the lamium had eaten half of the backyard and was working on the garage. Estreya, don't be seduced by a pretty leaf! In our zone, this stuff is a monster waiting to happen! That hosta garden is glorious, but I'm thinking there are other plants that will give you that little burst of leave color and texture without the danger to surrounding plants. How about heucheras? Hardy, colorful, great texture, and won't eat you out of garden space.

Here are some websites for large tree moving.

http://www.davey.com/cgi-bin/displayContent.pl?type=section&id=472


Here's the one I was thinking of. They rescue some trees for free, because they sell them to other people. Save a tree.
http://www.bigtreesupply.com/index.php?page=Transplanting+%26+Rescue&sub=Rescue

Ok, hold off on the lamium for Pixydish. I haven't mentioned Lamium "Golden Anniversary" which is much better behaved (to date,) with green and yellow variegated leaves, pale pinkish blooms. Foliage seen below.

Pixy, great idea on the tree movers. I passed by a yard being 'planted' with huge mature trees in Ballard this spring. Just amazing stuff they can pick up and move.

Estreya, it isn't really that bad! Lamium tends to send out little side runners that root easily and is easily contained but one has to be fairly persistent. I made a big mistake because I hate to throw away viable plants and grabbed a mat of lamium out of my dahlia garden and tossed it where brush meets lawn. It sat all summer without a smidgeon of water and is flourishing LOL! Ditto Creeping Jenny. Want some of that too? Pixy? Anyone? That, I threw under a cedar tree and watched it establish and prosper all summer long. sigh....

Estreya I have a few hostas that will need dividing at some point, so let me know when you get a shade bed going, you'll be welcome to some divisions. As a better behaved alternate to lamium, how about Brunnera Jack Frost? I have one ready to go (when it thaws, that is.) It's about a foot tall, variegated foliage, tiny blue flowers in early spring that are similar to Forget Me Nots.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/poochella/shade%20garden/brunnera506tina.jpg

Here's Jack Frost to the far right (after blooms were cut off) and a cute little patch of lamium in front! LOL
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/poochella/shade%20garden/gardenJune040008.jpg

More of my mom's shade bed for inspiration: white dicentra, various hosta, ferns, a low ginger (I think) in front, lamium et al....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/poochella/shade%20garden/Momshostabedwhitesandborder.jpg

Lani, what town in MN did your grandparents live in? I lived in almost every corner of the state while there. Feels like I'm there now with 10 degrees this a.m. Good on you for your fight against city hall and the proposed 'progress' on the road widening. Have you involved your neighbors at all; taken a straw poll on how they feel? Don't forget the nastiness of road noise, if that road is close enough to you- there is little to do to block it.

Laurie1, thank you. We love that tree- it sounds so silly but it has withstood thick and thin, drought and disease, blizzards, red hula hoops stuck way high up in a branch until that branch broke off LOL.

Since it's yucky outside, I just started reading this forum. Has anyone seen what LA's mayor is proposing? It's called the 'Million Trees LA Initiative'--very progressive.
http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-trees23nov23,0,7547049.story?coll=la-home-home

That is a great article and sounds like a wonderful project. I hope they coordinate it all and follow through. Good find AuNatural.

~~ giggles ~~

You guys are just terrific! And i love those additional photographs, Poochella. They thrill me so to my marrow that i'd swear they actually warm me up on this cold cold day ...

Great photos, everyone! And I agree about the Jack Frost Brunnera - one of my favs!

Here's a pic of a portion of the area that is now devoid of trees thanks to the clear cutting a couple years ago - it doesn't look too bad in the snow, but normally is barren and ugly. As you can see, they left nasty, huge piles of brush. There is an incline at the back of this area and there are some evergreens there - thank goodness!

ARrgh! clearcutting! Why can't they leaves clusters of trees here and there? It would look so much better and afford more places for wildlife. Whoops! I'm sorry! I forgot that it's all about $$$!

Okay, Poochella. I'm hearing you that some of the lamium cultivars are not aggressive like the species. Actually I bought one called 'anne greenway' which was just darling! I wanted it for a pot to cascade down, then I liked it so much I thought I'd try it in one of the perennial beds, but it practically didn't make it! I'm not sure that it will survive over the winter, so I don't think I will have to worry much about it eating my greenhouse.

I love those hosta garden photos. Classic! Your mom is a great garden designer.
Oh ,man, I went outside last night a so many of my pots were frozen solid I was practically in despair! I started moving more stuff into the greenhouse just to be on the safe side. 28 outside right now. Downright balmy!

Pixy, the clear cutting made me physically ill - the poor birds were crashing into our windows and getting stuck in our house when they found an open door. It was horrible, absolutely horrible. And the least of it was the fact that it took away the beautiful backdrop behind my house. I did get them to save one little patch of trees for me - I wrote five notes and tacked them to some of the trees - 1) please 2) leave 3) these 4) trees 5) for the birds and me. I have pictures somewhere. Here's my little grove of trees. We just don't know why they coldn't leave a fringe for us, several of us have houses right on the property line so felt the impact unmercifully.

Here's one of the notes (last one) that apparently saved the small grove of alders (and I realize alders are considered "weeds," but they were my Hundred Acre Woods).

It's a sad story, murmur. :(

Murmur, I can't believe that you were able to save a stand of trees with a note! That is amazing! The power of the written word. That is brillant. I am really impressed. So impressed.

Do you have any idea what their plans are for this land? Can you nudge them in the direction of replanting?

In England there were massive forestry plantings post war. The idea was to build up a stock of housing materials, and a lot of that land is now being cleared. Interestingly, either by happenstance or plan (that is a little hard to believe - a post war minister saying "hey, when they clear this land would it be nice if.....) a fair number of trees have grown in amongst the Sitka pines. When they clear they leave the broadleaf, and I have to say it is an improvment in the landscape to get rid of these dense stands of spruce. This isn't happening all over the country - we happen to be in a designated AONB - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We are one of the lucky areas. Others, where it is just plain beauty - they get swept clear. But they are required to do a lot of refforestry with mixed plantings on the cleared area. And clearing is not a direct line to housing development (yet). In fact there are government grants for buying and maintaining woodlands (in the form of tax concessions). don't put this down to being sophisticated in our appreciation of land maintainence - I think it has a lot more to do with the members of the house of Lords having a lot of acreage.

Au Natural, how nice to see you in this thread. Nice find in the LA times - but I find myself stretching to think what trees are indigenous to the LA area? Manzanita is the only one that comes to mind - now that is a beautiful plant, I have never seen such silky smooth, blood red bark on anything else. Stunning. I hope they will allow appropriate foreigners - there is a stand of what I think is a eucalyptus just above Santa Monica beach. The bark of the tree folds back on itself in huge multilayered sheets, looking every bit like some of the books I have dropped in the bath and dried out (I haven't done it that often, and never with a first edition hardbond!) And some very impressive Grevillea Robusta lining an entire throughfare - just beautiful. I had no idea they grow to that size. Now, how can we convince the Mayor to add his count to Mathaaii project?

My understanding about the property is that it is owned by a 'family corporation,' and the guy who had it clear cut is sort of the caretaker. The story has it that he needed money so had all the alders cut and sold for firewood. In order to maintain their tax free status of said property, he was required to replant with evergreens which he did the following summer. It was far too hot when he planted them, though, and with no one watering them (good grief, it's a huge piece of property - even I wouldn't have watered them!), many or even most of them died.

The Fall after the clear cutting (which was the Summer of 2004), I had a seed sowing party on my 60th birthday - thought you might get a kick of this picture. There were about 15 of us out there and I had provided everyone with a cup of wildflower seeds native to this area. I had marked 18 or 19 places with a pinwheel and asked each person to go to a pinwheel and sow some seeds. I had music from "The Sound of Music" blaring loud enough to be heard all the way out there and it was a hoot. Helped me recover from the shock and sadness of seeing the clear cut property with its piles of brush and branches. The following Spring there were indeed some wildflowers blooming and I loved it, but by the following year (2005) the thistle, nettles, grasses, weeds, etc. had taken over and very few of them could be found. I am going to so a bunch more this coming Spring if I can get past the nettles and thistle without injury!!

There actually are still some pinwheels out there, but they are buried by weeds.

And here's another photo of us heading to my meadow. The heart-shaped arch is one I use occasionally when I do flowers for a wedding.

Even my very elderly parents were out there sowing seed - it was a truly memorable event! My oldest daughter surprised me and came from CA without my knowing she was coming. Talk about a birthday surprise! I just wish the seed sowing had been more successful, doggone it!

OK I am going to try posting this picture of my oak tree ( Quercus robar). It is the big tree with brown leaves on it in the rear near the house. The other trees shown here are a Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) on the left next to the shop and a green ash (Oleaceae Fraxinus pennsylvanica) on the right. We are going to take out the Ailanthus, due to its being such a thug, as soon as our son moves out of the camp trailer we have parked in it's shade.

I am excited. I think this picture will come through for you. I hope it isn't too big for dial up users.

Lani

Murmur it looks as though you had a great time even if you didn't get the blooming flowers that you wanted. Maybe they would consider replanting it for a future forest of evergreens? That would be great.

Pooch, they were in Wadena. The family had and still has three lake cottages at middle Leaf Lake near Ottertail. I loved my summers and Christmas' there.

Lani

Love the oak Lani. And the snowy scene. Small world: I worked in Wadena for 9 months or so right after college LOL. It was a bit too small for my taste, but yes, a wonderful area; kind of gateway to the north of MN, in my eye.

Murmur I can relate 1000% to your tree cutting grief.
About 7 years ago our adjacent neighbor, also seeking lumber money and more sunshine, clear cut nearly all of his 19 acres. Our property line ends right behind our garage and house: 15-25 ft away began his woods which had provided a lovely towering evergreen/mixed deciduous backdrop to our yard, a wildlife haven, shade, leaves, gentle breezes, windbreaks. You name it- the woods provided it.

Our neighbor had the good grace to forwarn all of us in the area of his plans and he had to attend a stewardship program put on by the DNR which also required replanting trees. That was of little comfort to me as 'our' entire backdrop of hundred foot tall trees was about to be lost forever. When the chainsaw and logging trucks started, I cried- a beautiful forested hillside was converted to a field of stumps in days. When the loggers edged ever closer and each trunk of another felled tree hit the ground I grew so anxious I was nearly paralyzed- couldn't focus on anything but the tree cutting. There was a lot of OMG'ing going on. I had to do something and fast.

So I called the neighbor LOL ( thinking swiftly....) and, like you, asked if he'd consider leaving us such a fringe 10 -12 ft deep as a little backdrop behind our house/property line. He came over right away, looked things over and said "sure." Great guy! The chainsaws began again, closer now at only 100-200 ft from our yard. I walked along the woods, looked at the few thin trunks that would be left behind us and the anxiety began to spin out of control, right along with the whirring chainsaws.

I have never ever been so riddled with overwhelming anxiety. I tried to go about household tasks, but couldn't. I tried to head to work in the lower gardens away from the mayhem of falling trees and to accept the fate of the woods, but could only spun in circles continuing the mantra, "OMG!" If anyone would have found me in that state, I would have surely been rushed away to a nice rubber room somewhere!

One little call to the DH, one more urgent call to the neighbor, and the imminent problem was solved. I asked if he would sell us the section of woods immediately behind our property! "Sure" he said. What a guy! So he got more money, we got our woods, the birds and squirrels kept their homes.

The amazing thing to see has been the regrowth in the clearcut areas. The first season was awash in foxglove. Alder, the 'weed trees' and vine maple followed and flourished. Evergreens began to sprout up and some are now about 6 ft tall. Blackberries~ ugh~ abound. I found patches of trilliums previously unaccessible! It isn't the lush mossy evergreen woods of yore, but nature is working hard to heal the wounds.

Murmur, if you want about a zillion foxglove seeds for your next seed sowing party ( love the photos BTW,) I'll get and hold them for you. I could muster up a few hemlock, fir and cedar saplings if you wanted those too.

Poochella, your story brought back each and every minute of my grief. The sound of a chain saw even today puts me into panic mode. We also tried to buy some property from the guy, but he wouldn't hear of it. I don't know him personally, but I've heard he is a real jerk. So the fact that he left my little stand of alders is still a shock and surprise to everyone. He had already refused to leave a fringe.

Bless you, yes, I would take some foxglove seeds and anything else you have to spare! I am surprised that the alders haven't started springing back up - they sure are all over my yard and in my containers!!! I've been digging some of them up and putting them in little pots (more as a joke for my next plant sale, but I can put them out in my meadow). I hope some of those evergreens that the guy planted will make it, but the blackberries, thistle, nettles, and grasses were so tall and thick this last summer that I couldn't get out there without injuring myself!! This might actually be a better time to go look - as soon as a bit more of the slush is gone.

Like you, our house sits at the back of the property line - probably 15 feet.

Poochella, what a riveting story. I've been there myself in the past, and could re-live your every word.

It sounds as if you were very fortunate to have such a cooperative fellow to negotiate with. So often, that's not the case.

In this house, perhaps it's a blessing that the acreage was cleared long before my husband and i ever even considered moving. Even at that, though, i often think, "Couldn't they have left at least a few clusters of mature trees on the lot?" I guess when dollar signs are involved, the answer is most often, "No."

So we plant and plant. And plant. And plant. And then we plant some more!

:)

Have you noticed what wonderful descriptive story telling is going on here? there is something very atavistic about this, as if on this marvellous modern technology there is a very old process of sharing tales. Lovely.

Laurie, I agree that it is almost magical how this is spinning off into tales of trees that were loved by so many of us and yet just meant money to others. I would hlpe that each of us are teaching children how to love the nature so they understand the magic of life.

It is sad when these gorgeous stands of trees are removed. I too would be crying if someone around me was taking out healthy trees from a gorgeous forest of them.

Pooch thanks for the nice comment about our oak. We love it in all seasons even though when I have to vacuum after it all the time I do wish that it hadn't been planted where we track everything from it into the house. LOL

Lani

My granddaughters moved to Southern CA three years ago, into a "gated community" of lovely homes with postage stamp sized yards and zero trees - except for a palm tree here and there. I'm happy to say that when they come to visit, they both go on and on about the trees and how much they miss them. Actually, the oldest just moved to Spokane with her fiance and I haven't had the opportunity to ask her how it feels to be there.

My daughter can't wait to move back here where she can see real trees again. (I'm not knocking palm trees - they certainly have their place, but when you've grown up around cedars, pines, firs, maples, etc., it just isn't the same!)

thank you for enjoying my tale of terror! I swear it was just about the most harrowing experience in all my years- certainly among the most distressing. I went for a quick walk in the woods/clearcut area and scouted out a few foxgloves yet to be harvested, Murmur. I have the habit of scattering the seeds when I find them dried and ready, but there will still be plenty.

I also took the time to marvel over all the little evergreens and had to stop myself from taking about 40 photos of them all LOL. Then I vowed to keep this thread going as long as there is a tree that might be worthy of mention, I'm posting about it and hope all of you do the same. They do contribute to our lives on so many levels.

Now I have to go look up atavistic.... Thanks for starting this thread Laurie1~ :)

A simple small decaying stump broken off or felled years ago has resprouted an entire little ecosystem on its 18 inch surface: moss, lichen, hemlocks and the shrubbier growth I can't identify. Perhaps vine maple on the left? I just marvel at it each time I walk by.

Poochella, you inspire me!!! I hope to take a walk through the former Hundred Acre Woods (now known as Murmur Meadows) tomorrow and take some pictures of new things that might be happening. I do console myself with the fact that those hideous piles can be a safe harbor for many critters. That little world growing on top of your stump actually makes my heart feel happy.

And, Laurie, I too am thoroughly enjoying the sharing that is going on here and hope we can keep this going, like Poochella said, for a long time to come - with photos, stories, whatever!!

atavism - a recurrence to behaviour or form typical of ancestors more remote than the parents. (Well that's what the Oxford English says, but they do have a tendency to be verbose (tendency to wordiness).

I was just thinking about the exchange of stories that occurred across generations, and garden fences, and on back porches, and under trees before everyone was plugged into Ipods and mobile phones, before text messages took out the vowels and shortened sentences. When stories were informative, and maybe example setting (goodness knows the next time someone threatens a tree I'm thumbtacking signs on them! Oh, and my 60th birthday party is going to be wearing big big hats and party dresses and sowing seeds! - Isn't there a wonderful poem with a line something like "when I am old I am going to wear purple hats" - must find that). And sometimes just funny or touching.

Trees. They make nice opportunities to get to know each other.

Laurie, I have the poem - I had copies laminated for placemats. I'll try to include a copy of the placemat here. If it doesn't work (it's not showing up in my preview), I will do a cut and paste of it.

The placemat was done with a red border and purple flowers, pretty font, etc. There is a Red Hat Society website, too, which is great. I had coffee mugs for everyone with a picture of a red hat, some flowers (of course), and the words "I shall wear purple with a red hat) that I purchased from the site. I'm drinking my morning coffee from one right now. They came in charming gift boxes and were quite a hit. I did not allow gifts (unless it was from someone's yard!), but gave a gift to each person who was kind enough to come. It's a bit of a trek to my house (ferry ride, etc.) and I truly was honored that so many could come.

WARNING

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens . . .

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old,
and start to wear purple.

(Jenny Joseph)

What a wonderful poem! It speaks, of course, to the blithe spirit in me that's waiting to fully emerge ... What is it waiting for, i wonder?

Is there, by any chance, a perennial with purple foliage and a flower that resembles a red hat? I'd love to plant it in my garden so it will remind me of this poem ....

This message was edited Dec 3, 2006 9:43 AM

This message was edited Dec 3, 2006 9:44 AM

What a great idea, Estreya, let's search!!!!!!!