Think Trees

Mother's Day dogwood tree.

          The Union of Concerned Scientists’ third tip to help create a climate friendly garden, is to plant large shrubs and trees.  “If you have space in your yard, plant­ing and maintaining one or more trees or large shrubs is an excellent way to remove more heat-trapping CO₂ from the atmosphere over a long period of time.”  (http://www.climatefriendlygarden.org).

     Each spring, in March, my family asks me to start thinking about what I’d like for Mother’s Day.  Some years, the gift has been a tree: a graceful Japanese maple, a shapely dogwood, or a slender witch hazel.  Others, it has been a shrub: a snowball viburnum, an oak leaf hydrangea, a classic lilac, or mountain laurels reminiscent of our favorite hiking trails.  It's even been a truck load of composted mulch to layer below existing trees.  These are truly gifts that keep on giving.  These plants’ color, structure, texture, and fragrance grow more spectacular each year. 

        Although “maintaining” an existing tree isn’t nearly as exciting as buying a new one, it’s probably even more important.  My husband and I spend much more time each year trying to keep our property’s trees alive than we do planting new trees.  Aggressive vines can bring cedars down in a few years if not clipped at the base.  Barberry, Russian olive, bittersweet, and choke cherry require constant cutting back to keep them from taking over a wooded lot.  Cutting dead branches and thinning around large healthy trees encourages desirable, native trees to thrive—sequestering CO₂. 

Cedar stand with vines and barberry removed.

     May 8^th will be a time to celebrate with our other mother, Earth—perhaps by planting a new tree.