trees, if you please

Pink trees

2009-05-16T23:51:00.014-04:00

If you're into PINK trees (which is oh so Dr. Seuss-like), I hope you got a chance to check out Hanami at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this year. Hanami is the "Japanese cultural tradition of viewing and cherishing each moment of the cherry blossom season." I realize this is an after-the-fact post, and if you missed it, all I can say is...go next year!

Any time from early April through early May. PINK. TREES. Petals all over. So pretty, really, and once you realize that you've had enough flowery trees (or, more likely, before you realize it's too late) the flowers have fallen and died and the brilliant green leaves are here to celebrate spring. (A note on Hanami - in early May, there's a big festival at the BBG with long lines, lots of people, weird music and a bunch of events that I missed...along with scores of faux geisha in full attire. Personally, I recommend going to the garden without the extra thousands of people tragically shaking the tree branches to make the petals fall. Go in late April.)

Of course, there are also the wonderful Magnolia trees in early April (top photo). They're incredibly beautiful with huge "thick" flowers that are sticky and gross when they fall off and coat the ground. But always so impressive on the trees. And the magnolia trees aren't ALL pink. Some are yellow, white, or other shades of pretty.

I used to hate HATE pink, I admit. And too much pink still makes me cringe. But on fluffy trees, it's bliss...

Fluffy Trees!

2009-04-16T16:30:00.009-04:00

If you've been following my blog since the beginning, you may know that I have sort of a "thing" for fluffy, flowery trees. But, I mean, really. Who doesn't? I love them. SO...imagine my excitement when I discovered that I actually live on a street of flowering trees! They're right outside my door! This is my first spring in this neighborhood (indeed, in this city) and here I am. Right in the midst of a delightful "white way of delight." (anyone get that reference?) What a perfect city street to call home. Would anyone like to come visit?

I went away for the weekend. And came back. And here they are. Bursting with flowery life. LOVE IT. I think if I knew more about trees, I might have known these were the flowering sort, and then I may not have been quite as surprised when they bloomed. But. I like it this way. Ignorance is bliss.

PS. More flowery fluffy tree posts to come...

Spring!

2009-03-31T23:46:00.006-04:00

I love LOVE when spring is in the air. As it was today. Daffodils are popping up in the forest and there are flowers on trees! Flowering trees are something to smile about.

Today I just soaked it all in for myself. Perhaps tomorrow I'll get out there and snap some more photos.

New Year of the Trees

2009-02-09T15:10:00.004-05:00

I am not Jewish. I know almost nothing about most Jewish holidays. But in an effort to at least be aware of them, I've added the Jewish Holidays public calendar to my Google calendar which is how I discovered that today is the New Year of the Trees! I did very little research, but did learn that it is customary to eat fruit and nuts (which I will now do) and to plant trees. I've no place to plant a tree, but I will instead try to be particularly aware of trees today, on their new year. Happy New Year!

Best state quarters

2009-01-19T00:09:00.006-05:00

While rummaging through a bowl of change to find laundry quarters the other day, I was pleased to see a large oak tree on the back of the Connecticut state quarter. This piqued my curiosity as to how many of our 50 state quarters are graced with the presence of trees. Here are the winners. Trees! You can view the rest of the 50 U.S. state quarters here. (Granted, there are a couple other states with trees in the background – Colorado, for one – but I was much more impressed with the prominence trees were given on these four).

Bonsai - the smallest trees of the new year

2009-01-06T18:14:00.007-05:00

Have any of you noticed that I've never posted about bonsai? How can this be? I think I was waiting for the perfect bonsai situation to present itself, which it did – this past weekend at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Though, from the looks of the photos on their site, I'll have to visit again in April and again in the fall. Even bonsai trees bloom in the spring and change colors in autumn!

What's not to love about bonsai?
1) they are miniature
2) they are works of art
3) they are trees
Plus, they usually come in cool ceramic pots and frequently have tufts of spongy moss growing at the base.

They are beautiful. And cute! Bonsai are so exquisitely manicured and pruned so that some of these less-than-two-feet-tall little trees are actually over 100 years old. It's really quite amazing. Looking closely at a bonsai, I sometimes wish I were the size of a fairy so I could sit underneath one of them and take a nap. That moss would be so soft! bonsai surely must be the smallest trees of their kind in the world.

"Bonsai" refers to little trees in pots...and the art to coaxing a tree to age without growing big has to do with trimming both the leaves and roots. But there is more than just careful clipping involved: Bonsai "demands a spiritual involvement" by the artist. Julian Velasco, curator of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden bonsai collection, says that "the stronger the connection between artist and tree, the more the artist can bring out in that particular tree." The creator has a very intentional role, using wire to gently guide the trees into position.

There's much more to be said and learned about bonsai, but for now let's just enjoy them as works of art, shall we?

final trees of 2008

2009-01-03T11:50:00.000-05:00

My dear friends. I've let time get away from me once again. I'm going to stop apologizing for it, starting now. It seems inevitable that I will have huge lapses in posting from time to time. I still love trees. It's a new year.

Christmas in the city was delectable. Holiday cheer, lights, spice cookies and trees! I was pleasantly surprised by the tree in Bryant park - I think I preferred it to (dare I say it) "The Tree" at Rockefeller. Of course, our own little Christmas "tree" was more of a bush this year, as all things "household" have had to downsize considerably. I made tree cookies this year. There's a first time for everything.

Here's to the best year yet.

Green-Wood

2008-11-04T21:09:00.002-05:00

OK, I discovered the absolute Mecca of amazing trees and it's completely exciting. Seriously, this is my new favorite 478 acres ever. It took a couple months for us to get around to visiting Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, but once we did, we instantly realized we'd found one of the most beautiful spots in Brooklyn. Perfect for walking, thinking, playing guitar, writing, drawing, taking photographs, and ghost hunting. (note the charming funereal piano interludes when you visit their Web site).

I do believe there may be enough trees to keep me happy forever.

2008-10-13T12:32:00.004-04:00

Perfect weather. Perfect trees. Upstate New York in the fall is so idyllic. It won't be long before the cold gray weather rolls in and takes hold for 5 or 6 months...but these fleeting autumn days before the winter are scrumptious. My weekend home was a bit too soon for peak colors...but it was glorious, nonetheless. And always with these picturesque trees and this crisp weather comes cider, cheese, donuts, apples, grapes, and everything "harvest." I just can't get enough.

A walk in the garden

2008-09-18T21:56:00.013-04:00

By popular demand, a peek at some of the better local trees. These were not, in fact, taken at the park, as requested, but rather at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is delightfully walking distance from my home, and to which my mom bought me a membership for my birthday. Wonderful!

This is just a taste of the arboreal splendor to come (ie: I'll be out there again at some point with my camera and more time). By the way, can I just mention that I'm so excited that autumn is upon us! it's just the most perfect time of year for trees.

Oh, and if you simply MUST see a shot or two of trees in The Park, you'll have to make due with this poor quality photo (taken on my phone) of a glorious late afternoon moment:

Cheers!

like a whisper

2008-09-02T19:01:00.008-04:00

Ack! It is high time for some tree art.
These are some fine-art photos that I stumbled upon. They are so quiet. So spacious. This is the work of Lou Raizin, an "emerging artist" according to VERVE Gallery and I don't know much else about Lou.

Enjoy!

my new home, and the new neighborhood trees

2008-09-01T23:03:00.005-04:00

I live in Brooklyn now. The trees aren't so plentiful as before, but they are still just as interesting and varied. There so many wonderful places to explore and I've just begun to get to know the city trees around me. The trees pictured above are my new local friends. I don't live in one of those charming brownstones, but all I need to do is walk out the door and turn a corner, and the side streets are filled with these charming views. Walking these new streets fills me with amazement. This is where I live now. Mostly, it's impossible not to notice each tree's surroundings here. You don't see any lonely trees or forests. But the trees have wonderful backdrops of ornate churches or interesting buildings. Some are oddly placed so that they poke through the sidewalks along a busy street of shops and cafes.

My impression is that most of the trees around here are just a little confused. They don't seem terribly unhappy...this isn't, after all, the most enticing place for a tree to live...but they just seem a little unsure of how they're supposed to be living here in this big city with very little grass and too many people. Some of them seem particularly awkward...but most are just trying to be graceful the best they can, living between a pile of garbage bags and a fire hydrant...growing out of their little open square in the sidewalk.

The more I think about it, the sadder it seems. But really, like I said...maybe they aren't all that unhappy. Like a baby animal born in a zoo. They don't know life any differently. It's sad and it's not. And the joy they bring others!

So. I still like them, and I'm sure glad they live here in the city with me.

Trees at Duke Gardens through the eye of a cell phone

2008-08-12T18:39:00.003-04:00

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

2008-08-10T13:39:00.007-04:00

Dear friends, I'm in Brooklyn now! So far, it's everything I hoped it would be. And trees do, in fact, grow here. Upon my departure, a very thoughtful friend gave me the most appropriate novel I can imagine, considering my current circumstance. I've been meaning to read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith for some time, and this seems the most perfect season of life to dive into it. Also, speaking of appropriate tree books, another friend just gave me the perfect book about trees, entitled simply, "The Tree," by Colin Tudge. "A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter." So perfect! As if I need a book to tell me why they matter.

Facts and info straight from that book to come...Hopefully this will make me a more knowledgeable tree blogger and person.

Hurray for Brooklyn! Hurray for trees! Many, many thanks to my friends who think of me when they see books about trees, and for these perfect gifts. You guys are great.

Japanese Garden

2008-07-09T23:11:00.006-04:00

I never meant to turn this into a "tree-photo-blog" but I suppose that's what it's become, as of late. To carry on the theme just a bit longer, let me share with you some of the photos from my trip to the Fort Worth (Texas!) Japanese Garden this past weekend. It was a hot, wonderful, nostalgia-filled, relaxing weekend of nuptials. Old friends and new family. BBQ and Tex-Mex. And one of my favorite-people-in-the-whole-world on the happiest day of his life. Anyway. Back to the trees.

chasing lightning

2008-07-01T23:24:00.003-04:00

Didn't work, but the effect was kinda cool.

interesting tree bark of the day

2008-06-21T14:50:00.001-04:00

mimosa, anyone?

2008-06-20T22:46:00.006-04:00

How great is this type of tree? It's Dr. Seuss-inspired (my favorite kind!) When I first saw one, it was located curiously close to a delicious local sushi restaurant, so I decided it must be Asian. Then, I began to see them along the road as I was driving to work, and realized that was a stupid assumption. I was trying to imagine how I could have never noticed these wonderful pink powder-puff fluffs growing on these local trees, and decided to do a little research. What is it? Where is it from?
Turns out, it IS Asian!! or, to be more precise, it is native to both Asia and the Middle East. It's called a Mimosa or silk tree. And birds, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds like it.
I have ALSO discovered that this is an "invasive tree" and many folks are up-in-arms about people who plant it in this part of the world. Apparently it re-seeds quite easily and can be a bit of a pain. But I can't imagine anything quite as charming as an overabundance of pink powder-puff-fluff trees - even if they ARE invasive.
My photos are all rather close-up because I didn't like the surroundings...but there's an entire pool devoted to the Mimosa at Flickr, and a couple better overviews here and here.

Heard a who today...

2008-06-14T21:09:00.004-04:00

...living on a speck on this little fluffy thing. in Whoville.

Also, went to the JC Raulston Arboretum.
It was really great until a thunderstorm came up and we ran for cover and then lightning struck something and the power went out in the education center. Kevin likened it to Jurassic Park, for some reason. Something to do with the "fossil" leaves in the stone wall of the building and the fact that the power went out and...I don't know...let all the dinosaurs loose?
Whatever.
It was a good day's fun.
Please excuse my inexcusable lapse in posting.

to touch a tree

2008-05-03T20:00:00.002-04:00

I am fascinated by texture and surface quality. I like to touch things that look interesting. I love to feel the paint brushes in an art store, touch the rocks in a science museum, handle all the beads in the make-your-own-jewelry stores. Tasseled lamps and fringe are unbelievably satisfying to me. The little rug samples in hardware stores...silk and velvet in fabric stores...ceramic dishes, and the patterns painted on to them. Flowers with dense centers or fluffy dandelions. Shiny leaves and spongy moss. Do Not Touch signs irritate me. If something begs to be touched, why not? I even feel compelled to touch cacti in a botanical garden. Smooth, slippery, rough, patterned, sharp, hard, rubbery, cold, soft...I'm very tactile. So, it may come as no surprise that I like to touch trees. This tree has amazing surface texture, and I had to restrain myself from pulling it apart. Of course I would never want to damage the tree, but I bet it would be as satisfying as peeling off old wallpaper. And think how smooth and new underneath all that curly bark!

The day of the trees

2008-04-26T19:50:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Arbor Day. The day devoted to planting and caring for trees and a perfect day to remember how important and wonderful they are. I was remiss in posting yesterday, and I wish I could say I was out planting a tree, but I don't have a piece of land on which to do so. So I admired them, instead. (And the best I can do is tell you that today I planted tomatoes).

Let's reflect on Arbor Day for a moment. Our beloved Julius Sterling Morton (along with Robert Furnas) founded this glorious day. Interestingly, Arbor day sprung from the plains of Nebraska which were distinctly lacking trees in the late 1800s. The new pioneers (J. Sterling Morton in particular) saw the importance of bringing trees to this flat, hot and windy land. Morton proposed a tree-planting holiday, and it was officially proclaimed on April 8, 1874.

On the first Arbor Day, "prizes were offered to counties and individuals for planting properly the largest number of trees...It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day."

Now, over 100 years later (after many forests and trees have been chopped down) the Nature Conservancy has launched a Plant a Billion Trees campaign, to restore 2.5 million acres of land (and plant 1,000,000,000 trees) in the next 7 years. You can help! I can help! It's only $1 a tree (I think the minimum is 10 trees). So you give a little money, help save the world. And think of the trees! Always think of the trees. If nothing else, check out their cool site where you can watch the little trees sprout and learn about trees that you didn't even know existed! Like the Ice Cream Bean Tree.

Arbor Day is not like other holidays. Each of those reposes on the past, while Arbor Day proposes for the future.

– Julius Sterling Morton

Earth Day – what can you do?

2008-04-22T22:47:00.003-04:00

In honor of trees on Earth Day, here are a few practical things you can do to help preserve our environment and save a few trees in the meantime:

GreenDimes will actually pay YOU $1 for them to help you stop your junk mail. Why? Because they care about trees and the earth THAT MUCH. Of course, it's not very earth-friendly for them to mail you a check for $1 so you also have the option of having them plant a tree with your dollar. OR...the even better thing to do is to pay the one-time fee of $20 and GreenDimes will automatically take you off lots of mailing lists AND plant 5 trees. If you'd rather not pay, you can manually remove yourself from various catalog and junk mail lists. You may have to go directly to each company's website to do so, but GreenDimes makes it easy. Also, be sure to sign and mail back any postcards from GreenDimes, because some companies require a signature for removal from their mailing list. Do it now! Save trees here.

If you are looking for another way to help get more trees planted on our planet, but perhaps you live in a city or aren't able to plant one yourself (or maybe you just want to help fund the future forests of America)...you're in luck! These folks will do the planting for you! Every single dollar you donate plants a tree. It's so great! Instead of springing for that $4 latte four times, you could fund the planting of 16 trees. It's such an important investment and it's so relatively inexpensive that you practically can't resist. There is a $15 minimum so you'll be funding the planting of at least 15 trees. Your own little grove someday.
There's also a nifty how-to if you need help planting your own tree.

Thanks to Lauren for the very Earth-friendly tree links.

Spring!!

2008-04-13T23:30:00.005-04:00

It's spring here in Carolina and I've finally come up for air (Hurray! Life's been more than a little busy as of late).
Today I had a chance to get out and take some photos, and I'll tell you what...just smelling the spring air and looking at all the nature makes me giddy. I love this time of year when there's bright new color everywhere, and funny things hanging from trees and pretty flowers growing from branches and it's all just lovely and great.
Trees! Trees! Trees!

palm trees, if you please

2008-03-16T22:10:00.002-04:00

In honor of Palm Sunday, let me introduce you to my new favorite tree. Perhaps it's because I grew up in a cold climate, but for some reason I was completely delighted and enthralled with the palm trees when we visited the beach a few weekends ago. Palm trees! They're so weird! furry, pointy, sharp, soft, green, brown, stringy, smooth...so many contradictions in one tree! Ok, these are probably just a momentary, when-I'm-at-the-beach favorite.

But so great! And it turns out there's also a lonely little palm tree in the back yard of my brother's new home in Pensacola...and I must say, he sounded about as excited about it as I would be. Hurray!

YOUR TREES [Icy Winter hangin' on...]

2008-03-10T00:58:00.005-04:00

Special thanks to my dad for these gorgeous tree photos!
If these icy shots weren't so beautiful, I'd almost feel guilty that there are daffodils popping up all over the place around here. Not an icicle in sight. (I wish we'd had at least ONE ice or snow storm this winter...)
Winter always hangs around longer in Upstate New York. But at least the sun was shining after the ice storm!