Trees
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree… *
THEY’RE BACK!
The joy of unexpected magic arrives with a right turn onto a wide road as I leave my retirement realm
————drumroll please———.
Hooray, I am smack dab in the middle of a
JACARANDA WONDERLAND!
Spring is sprung and Jacaranda trees are lined up as regal precision sentries along each side of the road as they welcome walkers and drivers. It’s their time of the year and talk about ego! Unstoppable!
Lavender is not necessarily a bold color, but when multiplying hundreds of lavender tree blossoms, you know you are driving down a Bold Lavender Empire. Trust me, bold is an honest description with its’s proud plum-shaded effervescence.
I clearly remember a birthday when upon returning from breakfast with a friend, my husband told me there was something in the backyard and he wasn’t sure what it was. Over the years we had discovered animals that did not belong and that were not welcome Never brave, I hesitantly walked toward our solarium windows. Was it another fox or a blue heron standing in our pond eating our koi? Was it a fat possum or the mule who lived in our neighbor’s stable? Nope! It was perfection in nature! Of course, not any old tree but my favorite. I was
“PLUM HAPPY”!
to see my very own
JACARANDA TREE!
I had to wonder,“Do others have a favorite tree?”
Time for The Sweet-toothed Sleuth!
She posed this question to friends, “Do you have a favorite tree that makes you ‘PLUM HAPPY’ and will you share why?”
Oh, Did They!
JBLB: “‘Oh Christmas Tree. Oh Christmas Tree. How lovely are your branches’. 🎶 With needles encircling its’ boughs, a height of up to 295 ft., and a diameter of 13 ft. Its’ deep fragrance soars above my childhood and still lingers in my imagination. Besides their beauty Fir is one of the strongest, fine grained wood for boat building, houses and often used for reforestation. And the pine cones we children gathered. Who did not paint them gold or silver for the holidays? No one. That’s who. We all did.”
SCJB: “The first thing you see when you open my Chinese Red front door is my glorious Eucalyptus Tree. It is like a painting hanging on the wall, but this is a glass wall and as you walk closer and closer to this wall you can see, my tree is a haven At any time you might see humming birds, blue jays, crows, hawks, a squirrel claiming their territory but most audaciously upstaging them all——is a peacock on parade.”
JBM: “I love the ornamental purple Smoke Tree. In the spring it produces filmy blossoms that look like smoke hence the name. It comes in green as well but it is the purple that tugs at my heart. It grows to about the size of a fruit tree.”
NDL: “Moringa is one of my favorite trees. It grows fast, light and leafy with little white flowers, needs little water, and is completely edible. It is a native of India offing vitamins, minerals, and proteins to those who eat Moringa. According to NIH, “A growing body of evidence suggests that moringa (Moringa oleifera) helps fight inflammation, a known contributor to chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes and obesity.” Do be careful of buying Moringa powder at stores, or over the internet, being mindful of added ingredients. There are lots of Moringa garden clubs forming throughout the world that offer growing and harvesting support. Highly nutritious, Moringa is being planted around the world to feed populations with food insecure areas.”
JLJ: “Since the God Odin is the telemarketer of wisdom, the sacred tree often referred to him is the Yggdrasil because it stands at the absolute center of the Norse cosmos. Norse legend affirms that the Three Norns (we think they are girls) sit under the tree spinning the webs of our lives. At any moment any one of the three can cut our threads. They represent fate and fate in Viking culture is inexorable: in Danish it’s skaebnen er ubønhørlig. Since I am a Viking to the core, the giant ash tree better known as Yggdrasil in Denmark is my esteemed choice.”
RBB: “Monterey cypress. Native only along California coast.
As a California native the Monterey Cypress was a part of my life not only because it is native to California’s salty wind’s wild coast, but because my father painted their natural irregular shapes. Augmenting these stunning trees shaped by nature is their lemony citrus scented needles.”
SNDBD: “Our family collectively has a favorite tree. My mother and father were tried and true Missourians. When they moved to Kensington, CA to be close to us our family was complete. They did miss the abundance of fall colors so we had liquid amber trees planted in their front yard. Many wonderful years together ended with our living tribute to my mother and father when we had a pair of liquid amber trees planted in a favorite park. These trees and heartfelt memories celebrate not only them but my husband as the trees are planted and overlook his Sunday afternoon San Diego Band concerts.”
Trees
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree… *
Sy’s Salient Points:
I was astonished and thrilled at the variety of trees shared.
Thank you, thank you for your engaging comments.
And remember:
Trees are all bark and no bite.
I shook my family tree and a bunch of nuts fell out!
Become a Dendrophile today!
Plant a tree!
- Joyce Kilmer —Tree Poem 1913
Happy Summer Holidays Darling Blaire