Roll Gardening & Green
Trees: Why not plant one this Spring?
by Luanne Panarotti
“The trees in the streets are old trees used to living with people, family trees that remember your grandfather’s name.” —Stephen Vincent Benet
Trees are so ubiquitous in our Hudson Valley landscape, we often fail to really notice them. But plant a tree in your own backyard and suddenly, there’s a relationship. You begin to mark the passage of time by its seasonal changes and annual growth, your own personal history reflected in its gradual development. You provide it with space and some modest resources and it offers back structure, beauty, maybe even sustenance, leaf piles in which to jump and a place to hang a swing. You imagine the future generations that might climb its branches or daydream away the afternoon in its dappled shade.
Trees are also indispensable allies in our environmental efforts. Large scale reforestation is an essential element in counteracting global warming and species loss; but even the planting of a single tree or a small grouping of trees can have a significant local impact. In addition to sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen as part of the photosynthesis process, properly sited trees reduce energy consumption – and bills – by shading your home in summer and providing a windbreak in winter; minimize erosion and pollution runoff into streams, allowing for more recharging of the groundwater supply; and provide food and habitat for songbirds and other wildlife.
Beauty, emotional connection, environmental benefit and increased property value, to boot: planting a tree is a horticultural no-brainer. Choosing the right tree for the right place is not. First, make your wish list. What are you hoping to accomplish with your planting? Do you wish to create greater privacy, a shady retreat? ...
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