| Trees then and now | | | | home from the office, change out of his stuffy |
| When I was a boy I was surrounded by trees. | | | | suit, grab his pruning shears, and head outside to |
| One step out my back door and there they | | | | give his trees a little trim. He was at his happiest |
| were, trees of all sizes and shapes.. But where | | | | then. |
| are those trees now? New homes have so much | | | | Why plant more trees? |
| stone, so much grey, and so little green, they are | | | | We all know how trees benefit the environment |
| surrounded by walls, brick fortresses, built to | | | | and how they give us clean air to breathe. Did |
| keep us safe. Trees aren't safe, there fun, | | | | you know that one tree releases enough oxygen |
| they're beautiful, they don't tell others to keep | | | | into the atmosphere to support two people? |
| out, not like a brick wall does. A tree is | | | | Other than clean air, trees supply us with food in |
| welcoming, and that does not seem to be popular | | | | the form of fruit. One apple tree in your back |
| these days. They take time to care for, time to | | | | yard can supply an apple a day to a family of |
| water, time to prune. Stonedoesn't need us to | | | | five. Apples are just the beginning though, |
| care for it, stone is happy alone. | | | | depending on your local climate, you can plant |
| My father and trees | | | | plum trees, apricot trees, citrus or pear trees, and |
| My father was always so enthusiastic about the | | | | a host of others. As well, a fruit tree will feed the |
| trees in our yard, he took special care to explain | | | | local bird population and keep small animals fed |
| the different varieties to anyone who would listen. | | | | and happy. Besides providing fruit, trees give us |
| He would tell them about a certain tree and | | | | shade, privacy, and nesting areas for the local bird |
| where it came from, when he planted it, and how | | | | population. There is so much a tree can offer to |
| much fruit it had given to him. I dare say he | | | | you and your family. We need trees to feel |
| spoke more about the trees than he did me. Of | | | | something softer than stone, something only a |
| course I didn't give him buckets of fresh fruit, and | | | | tree can give, a connection to something outside |
| I cost a lot more to raise than the few dollars it | | | | of ourselves. So today I am going to plant a tree, |
| took to fertilize a tree. Dad would often arrive | | | | and I hope you'll do the same. |