Why I planted so many trees

Come leaf fall, my late husband would stand before the sliding kitchen door wall overlooking the backyard. “I don’t know why you planted so many trees,” he’d grumble.

“Well,” I’d reply, “remember, you ordered the majority from the west coast, three of our favorite Dawn Redwood. We rented a post-hole digger and planted them in the rain.”

“I wasn’t thinking then about mowing around all those trunks and raking their leaves,” he’d say.

To prevent damage to the trunks of our five fruit trees, I removed sod from around the trunk to provide a wide girth for Mel’s mower blade.

Yet, “accidents” happened. Therefore, I bought metal poles and installed them at an angle around the peach, pear, and apple trees.

Voila! The trees grew. The peach yielded first. The apple and pear trees occupy space they have yet to earn.

Sometime after our tree installations, possessed by the motto “use what you have”, I transplanted four redbud babies from Mama Redbud in the front yard into a vacant space in the valley.

For I envisioned a redbud arbor where I planted them, another shelter from the sun with a cozy bench for reading and writing.

This past summer, however, I observed the valley red maple shading a red bud tree and stunting its growth. Therefore, I’m looking for a new home for her where she can realize her potential as her mother.

Speaking of her mother, the redbud dwells outside my study window, limbs braced by cords expertly installed by a tree specialist several years ago.

“Please understand this is a temporary fix,” he said.

Indeed. In Michigan’s climate, the lifespan of a Cercis canadensis is twenty years. Therefore, I’ve planted a few of her babies to replace her if and when she falls before me.

Meanwhile, this season I determined to wait until all the leaves fell before I began raking and burning. However, those red maples in the backyard are stubborn, still clinging to some leaves.

So, several days ago, I began raking oak leaves from the lawn along the driveway and burning them, pile by pile.

Since then, other priorities interrupted, leaving three piles to burn before I move on to the other side of the driveway, and along the road lined with oak trees.

Although the temperature is now 38 degrees, I’ll bundle up soon and test my metal.

All the while, I’ll wonder why on earth did I plant so many trees?

Dear Reader, truly, one answer is in the fresh air and exercise I’ll enjoy in the outdoors.

Another is in the peach cobbler with lavender lemon honey ice cream I will enjoy afterward, and all winter long.

Moating around my fruit trees and placing poles around their trunks saved them from the mower deck I inherited from Mel.

Contact Iris at irisfarmletters@gmail.com