Things That Fall From Trees
A children's picture book I used to read to my son was
based on Winnie The Pooh and I stole the title of this essay from the
heading of one of the drawings. Tigger, Pooh's friend, was one of
those “Things That Fall”.
I haven't seen a tiger fall from the canopy of oaks,
but I keep checking. You never know...
On occasion an over-excited squirrel will plummet 20 or
30 feet to land inelegantly. Is he embarrassed? How would I know?
My next door neighbor cut down all of the large trees
on his lot when he moved in, despite my protestations, since they
might fall on his house. The huge oaks hadn't fallen in their lives
of over a century, but that wasn't relevant. I told him about how
the trees cool the property in summer, cutting down on the need for
air conditioning. In the winter they partially blocked the raw winds
which steal heat from our houses. They provide cover, food and
nesting for all the birds and other animals, etc., etc. All
irrelevant to him.
Visitors to my garden never have to ask why I grow
azaleas, ferns and hosta. The tall oaks that have been here since I
moved in over 40 years ago provide a silent, definitive answer:
dappled shade.
For me, the trees provide masses of leaves which build
up my compost pile. Compost is a major ingredient in the soil I mix.
By December of each year the pile is taller than I am, 20' wide and
15' front-to-back.
The branches which fall can be burned in the fire place
and also, when piled by the fence, are safe resting places for birds
and other animals.
Acorns keep the squirrels alive throughout much of the
year, but they have hurt on the rare times when they've hit me
on the head.
There are obvious downsides to living among the giants.
Dead limbs and trees need to be dealt with sooner rather than
later. I kept putting off taking down a large oak, which was killed
by gypsy moths. One night the tree crushed my wife's car
(unoccupied, but still scary). The tree fell on its own recognizance
in the still of the night, but the next day a tropical storm hit and
a local newspaper photographer came by, recording it as storm damage.
I wrote a letter to them, which they published, pointing out how the
false statement will be observed as a part of history, a hundred
years from now, by someone trying to write a paper on the “old
days” for their Master's. But they never actually published a
correction of their own.
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| Isabel plants a large branch against the house, Sept. 19, 2003 |
Tropical storm Isabel brought down another large branch
that did some garden damage, but the storm is better remembered for
cutting off electricity to the area for one or two weeks, due to
falling branches. A friend's house water came from a well and was
dependent on an electric pump. It's tough living the primitive life
for more than a day!
Another year a micro-burst tore off a large branch that
just missed the house and blocked much of the back yard, including
the rear picture window. But the window didn't break.
A couple of months ago, I had just driven into the
driveway and stopped. I heard a loud ripping, crackling sound. I
watched as a large (1.5 ft in diameter) branch fell from a neighbor's
tree, taking down some branches below and destroying the fence that
borders our property. Not the neighbor who cut down his trees, of
course, but the one on the other side. Smaller branches came down on
some of my pots that were sitting near the fence but the damage was
minimal as they simply fell over and compressed instead of breaking.
After over 40 years here I haven't felt even a small
branch hit me. It could happen, but it is exceedingly unlikely. To
keep it unlikely, I don't walk around the yard in very windy
conditions. Dead trees and large branches that threaten us do have
to be dealt with by professionals (who demand professional payment
for removal). Vastly more dangerous is driving the interstate to an
azalea club meeting!
I garden with hellebores, hosta and heucheras because
it is a shade garden. Without the trees I'd be growing roses
and Canna Lilys. The variety of birds visiting through the year
would shrink and the higher energy bills would mean less money for
junk food.
Whether you're talking about trees, marriage, kids,
friends, houses or cars, nothing is perfect. But it's amazing how,
in the end, so much of it is good. Always worth it … but I still
keep a look out for dead branches … and Tigger.
