Leafing Out

If you are a tree hugger, you just have to wait for these trees to grow older, bigger, and taller to withstand your bear hug. These are the trees that I have in my own backyard.

Maple tree from seed.

A mature maple tree carries so many “helicopter seeds” that would fall on the ground, and if you are not careful, your backyard may end up having so many of these teeny weeny sprouts. I found a couple of them that I will keep to experiment and grow a bonsai.

Monkey Tree

We had five of these monkey trees that we started from seeds. I manage to kill one of them from loving it too much. As to where we are going to plant them, who knows. We do not have room for them here in the city. Have you seen a mature monkey tree?

Nameless tree or shrub?

This twisted one has been here way before I arrived in this complex. This must be about 30 or 50 years old. It became crooked due to a winter storm we had. I decided to “texturize” it and gave it a bonsai look.

Centerpiece. Maple Tree on a rock garden.

There used to be a giant Douglas Fir tree here. With its size, it became hazardous to maintain it too close to the complex. Needless to say, it was cut down with permission from the City. Yes, we have to apply to the City before we can cut our own tree; otherwise, we will be penalized. When it was cut down, I made a rock garden around the stump to soften the blow of not seeing a tree.  Now, a Maple tree stands proudly that I started from seed and kept it in a half barrel container. This tree is about five years old given to me by my dear friend from her own Maple tree that produced hundreds of baby trees. My cat, Maurice’s ash is buried here.

“I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.”

― Joyce Kilmer, Trees