Trees

[chic]

Do you value trees? Does it upset you to see trees being cut down but not replaced in your community? In your own neighborhood? Have you ever done anything to preserve the life of trees? Have you ever planted a tree?

For me, it's yes to all of the above. Trees take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. Good for our health and the health of the environment. I does upset me to see trees being cut down but not replaced. I have helped save the lives of trees during a gypsy moth infestion. I banded trees so the caterpillars could not climb above the banding to eat the tree.

I've planted two trees : a blue spruce and a birch but I hope to plant more before my time on earth is done.

There's something eternal about a tree. There's something magical too.

 

[Warrigal]

When we bought our small suburban block of land (90 ft X 70 ft) there were 13 mature eucalyptus on it. Most had to go to allow us to build the house. We were left with six across the front of the house. I planted on in the backyard when my father died but unfortunately it was not the small flowering gum that I thought is was, it was actually a Tasmanian Blue Gum, one of Australia's tallest trees. Given that we planted it over the sewer main, it grew very quickly and started to block the line leading to houses further up the street. That tree had to go.

So did some of the front trees because they were quite old (at least 70 years) when we bought the block. They began to succumb to rot and fungus in their trunks and having a big tree fall on you house is not a good idea, so one by one we lost four of them. I have planted three others to ensure that when the other go, the birds will still have habitat for their nests.

I love tree planters because they plant for the future. Whenever I visit a lovely park, I think of the long dead people who created it and feel grateful to them.

 

[Laurie]

In 1984 I moved into a house in Germany, and the first time I cut the grass, about two weeks later, I noticed a little seedling, about an inch and a half high, and I left it.

I left that house many years ago, but last year I used Google Earth and there's my tree, throwing a massive shadow!

As it's not easy to remove trees in Germany I have high hopes of my legacy lasting a while after I am gone!

 

[ronaldj]

I value trees, I heat with wood and have for years, I also replant ......as well I was a framing carpenter for 40 years, trees have made me a good living.

 

[Bullie76]

I live in a neighborhood with lots of mature trees. I love them like most everyone else, but when Katrina blew through my area......not so much. I'm almost 200 miles off the coast but Katrina was still a cat 1 when it hit here. Trees all over houses. One house just around the corner was split in half. It took a good 6 months before the debris were hauled off. Not much we can do about natural disasters, but selective cutting away from homes is needed in a lot of areas.

 

[Josiah]

Nothing in my mind does more to enhance a piece of property than the presence of large shade trees accompanied by some under-story ornamentals. I've planted trees everywhere I've lived and on several occasions I've returned to an old stamping ground just to admire trees I have planted. I'm particularly fond of black walnut, gingko, and hawthorn trees.

 

[Raven]

I love trees and we have several around our property but only one that is a little too close
to the house. In a bad storm I worry that part of it might come down and cause damage
to our home. It has been there for many years and was small when planted.

Trees are great for shade and we have two maples out front that keep the hot afternoon sun
from making the house too hot. They are close enough for shade but not close enough to
cause damage.
In the back yard there is a large spruce, a beech and an ash.

 

[Shalimar]

I have three ficus trees in my living room. Living near the rain forest, I am blessed to be close to many different varieties of trees, including a small forest of Gary Oaks, favourite habitat of bluebirds, recently reintroduced to the valley. They are doing very well. Logging is still in effect, but tree planting is mandatory. My mother, the stubble jumper, adored trees. Our back yard was full of them. I can still see the fat grey squirrel, and the tiny black one playing amongst them. Yes I love trees, a friend has a birch wood where he lives, stunning.

 

[imp]

Where I grew up, the side streets were everywhere lined with huge American Elm trees, which hung out way over the center of the street, from both sides, creating a cover of shade. These were very graceful trees, some three feet in diameter at the base. I think they may have been planted when the town was being built up. By the time I was a young adult, they had begun dying left and right. Here's why:

"American Elm Ulmus americana
This elm, also called Water Elm or White Elm, is native to eastern North America and, prior to the introduction of Dutch Elm disease in 1930, individual trees would grow up to 30 m in height. The dark green leaves have saw-toothed edges and turn bright yellow in the fall. Dutch Elm disease, caused by a fungus spread by bark beetles, has damaged most of the populations of the American Elm in the United States. "

The city began cutting the most diseased trees down. By the time I left the area at age 30, most were gone. Note the man below! imp

 

[Davey Jones]

I love all trees in Florida but a lot of these trees get destroyed buy lightening or hurricanes and most are never replaced.
Anyone check the rainforest growth in the Amazon lately?

 

[SeaBreeze]

I love trees and all nature really. We've planted trees in the past, pine, spruces, aspens and fruit trees, but not all of them survived for one reason or another. I love all different kinds of trees. They are very valuable, and I don't like to see them destroyed, either by man, lightning or insects. What really gets me is when they do a "controlled burn" in the forest somewhere, and it gets out of hand and turns into a big destructive forest fire.

 

[Cookie]

Toronto's urban forests -- we have trees on every street, downtown and suburban that are well maintained and protected.

 

[AZ Jim]

My back yard in South Dakota:

 

[Shalimar]

Beautiful Cookie, which variety are the golden ones?

 

[Shalimar]

So cute Jim. Sharing your G&T's with the squirrel, I see. It looks pissed to the gills! Lol.

 

[AZ Jim]

So cute Jim. Sharing your G&T's with the squirrel, I see. It looks pissed to the gills! Lol.

Naw, he's just tired from eating peanuts. I had three (almost hand tame) little squirrels that lived in my trees out back.

 

[Cookie]

Golden ones? - You must mean those that are just turning fall colors. Don't know, Shali --- I'm not a tree expert, but I can recognize some, well worth more study.

 

[Don M.]

I like trees. We live on 40 acres of heavy forestland...mostly 50 to 80 foot tall oak, with a lot of walnut, hickory, and locust. I keep about 1.5 acres mowed around the house, and it is a two day job to mow and trim around the 50 or more trees in the immediate yard....in this Summer heat. The hundreds, perhaps thousands of trees on the rest of the property are the domain for the deers and critters. Right now, with all the rain we've had, the bulk of our land looks like part of the Amazon rain forest. With all these trees, I go through the forest every Fall, and chainsaw the dead trees for firewood to feed our big outdoor furnace...gives us cheap heat, and keeps me fit doing all this good outdoor work.

A few days ago, we had a freakish wind storm come through the area, and it broke off 8 huge trees around the perimeter of the yard...luckily none fell towards the house. I'm sure there are many more out there that I will find when the Summer heat and tick season is over. From what I can see from the house, I will probably harvest enough wood to last us for the next 2 years. We don't have to worry about replanting the forest...the squirrels do a great job of keeping that going. They bury zillions of acorns and walnuts, etc., every year, and forget where half of them are. In the Spring, there are so many nuts on the ground that it is almost like walking on gravel....but the deers come around and have a feast. Its a hoot every year watching them clean up the yard, and taking water breaks from the birdbaths. They are so used to us that they just look up for a moment to see what we're doing, then they go right back to munching.

 

[chic]

In 1984 I moved into a house in Germany, and the first time I cut the grass, about two weeks later, I noticed a little seedling, about an inch and a half high, and I left it.

I left that house many years ago, but last year I used Google Earth and there's my tree, throwing a massive shadow!

As it's not easy to remove trees in Germany I have high hopes of my legacy lasting a while after I am gone!

What a beautiful story Laurie. That's just awesome.

 

[Linda]

We love trees. We have too many Eucalyptus to count, 5 or 6 Oak trees and then 9 or 10 other trees we have planted that survived. Because of our salt water we haul in water for the younger trees and plants. I imagine in the last 20 years we have lost about 40 Oleanders and apple trees, orange trees, palm trees and several pine and Cyprus trees. The gophers have gotten a lot of the things we've planted. Right now the drought is the big enemy. If we could we would have our whole place covered with large trees.

 

[chic]

Nothing in my mind does more to enhance a piece of property than the presence of large shade trees accompanied by some under-story ornamentals. I've planted trees everywhere I've lived and on several occasions I've returned to an old stamping ground just to admire trees I have planted. I'm particularly fond of black walnut, gingko, and hawthorn trees.

I completely agree. There is an elegance to a shade tree that nothing else can compete with. In addition is the comfort they provide to humans and the wildlife.

Black walnut is a lovely tree. I've grown up and always lived around black and white oaks - so majestic, sugar maples - so colorful in autumn, and my favorite the - American Elm.

 

[chic]

I have three ficus trees in my living room. Living near the rain forest, I am blessed to be close to many different varieties of trees, including a small forest of Gary Oaks, favourite habitat of bluebirds, recently reintroduced to the valley. They are doing very well. Logging is still in effect, but tree planting is mandatory. My mother, the stubble jumper, adored trees. Our back yard was full of them. I can still see the fat grey squirrel, and the tiny black one playing amongst them. Yes I love trees, a friend has a birch wood where he lives, stunning.

Birch woods are truly gorgeous. Eerily so. I always think there's someting ghostly about a birch wood. But they're friendly trees right? I mean they always seem to grow in clusters.

 

[chic]

Where I grew up, the side streets were everywhere lined with huge American Elm trees, which hung out way over the center of the street, from both sides, creating a cover of shade. These were very graceful trees, some three feet in diameter at the base. I think they may have been planted when the town was being built up. By the time I was a young adult, they had begun dying left and right. Here's why:

"American Elm Ulmus americana
This elm, also called Water Elm or White Elm, is native to eastern North America and, prior to the introduction of Dutch Elm disease in 1930, individual trees would grow up to 30 m in height. The dark green leaves have saw-toothed edges and turn bright yellow in the fall. Dutch Elm disease, caused by a fungus spread by bark beetles, has damaged most of the populations of the American Elm in the United States. "

The city began cutting the most diseased trees down. By the time I left the area at age 30, most were gone. Note the man below! imp

Hey Imp. There was a tree just like that at the corner of my street. I LOVED it. It was taller than my house. Seriously. In the early 1980's the city cut it down due to Dutch Elm disease and the whole neighborhood looked different. The city made no attempt to replace the tree and the whole area is the poorer for it I think. It's just never been the same.

 

[chic]

I value trees, I heat with wood and have for years, I also replant ......as well I was a framing carpenter for 40 years, trees have made me a good living.

Who better than a carpenter to understand the importance of trees. The environment thanks you for replanting.

 

[chic]

I love trees and all nature really. We've planted trees in the past, pine, spruces, aspens and fruit trees, but not all of them survived for one reason or another. I love all different kinds of trees. They are very valuable, and I don't like to see them destroyed, either by man, lightning or insects. What really gets me is when they do a "controlled burn" in the forest somewhere, and it gets out of hand and turns into a big destructive forest fire.

Funny your mentioning the "controlled burn" becaue my great aunt up in Maine used to do one every March. She always made sure there was a border of snow around the perimeter of the area she wanted to clear. We kids loved watching, ( and smelling ) the clearing. It was a spectacle, as was my aunt. But she knew her stuff and it never got out of hand.

Gorgeous pics too Seabreeze. Thanks for sharing.