Tag: trees

Posted on in environment, nature, photography

The soft shades of spring–a photo essay

new leafy growth on a birch tree stump

They say Ireland has 40 shades of green, but in spring, South Frontenac has 50 shades of green.

Even though spring isn’t my favourite season, I love the softness of this time of year. Tiny wispy yellow-green buds burst forth from the end of tree branches, delicate feathery ferns claw through the dull brown undergrowth, lush dark green grasses appear in clumps in the fields and meadows, and the forest canopy is a kaleidoscope of different shades of green.

When we drive down to the Carolinas each year in late March or April, one of the things I love most is watching the trees change as we go from our cold, grey bleak Canadian landscape to spring within a day’s drive. It’s as if the changing of the seasons is on steroids or fast forward.

In southern Pennsylvania, we get a peek at the first signs of spring, then if we’re lucky, in Maryland, we are treated to the sight of apple blossoms in full bloom with a hint of leaves emerging from their bursting branches. By the time we get to Virginia, we roll the windows down and let the warmth of the sun wash over us as we travel past trees in full foliage.

Here are some pictures I took on my property of the fifty shades of green. The lilacs in our area are just starting to bloom–a perfect day trip.  Happy spring!

treeline beside a field
tulip with green tips and leaves
Lily of the Valley
white birch bark against green grass
white and yellow flowers in the undergrowth
feathery ferns in the undergrowth
crab apple tree leaves and blooms
maple leaves on a tree overlooking a lake
apple blossoms in full bloom

This last photo was taken at a rest stop in Maryland on our last trip to South Carolina. The apple blossoms were in full bloom.

Posted on in environment, health and wellness, nature

The trees of my life

Man sitting on bench on BC coast

The Toronto Star used to run a column on a neighbourhood tree. I’ve always loved trees, maybe that’s why I married a lumberjack.

By my count, I’ve either directly or indirectly had a hand or shovel in planting tens of thousands of trees in my lifetime.

As a summer student in the Forestry department at the City of Mississauga, we reforested city parks, my favourite being Saddington Park, a former landfill and now one of the prettiest parks in Mississauga with beautiful willows we planted swaying in the lake breezes.

My family has planted trees every spring and fall at Lemoine’s Point Conservation area as part of their annual tree planting program.

And for the past seven years or so, I’ve sold seedlings as a fundraiser for local non-profit organizations like the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club. I’m looking forward to seeing my regular clients again this spring and hearing where they planted their trees from last year, how big they’ve grown, and what their plans are for this year’s seedlings.

Some days when I’m feeling down about the effects of climate change and our inertia as a global community to address it, I think about the trees I’ve helped to plant and it makes me feel better.

So this week’s #HappyAct is a photo essay, a tribute if you will, to the trees of my life.

Above: Dave beside arbutus trees on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia

trees overlooking a lake

The beautiful pine trees off my back deck

Family sitting on a patio at a golf course

I always loved this pine tree at the 18th green at our local golf course in Verona. It came down in a storm a few years ago.

Magnolia tree in a restaurant courtyard

Magnolia trees in Chez Piggy courtyard, one of my favourite patios in Kingston

trees in Stamp River Provincial Park

Tree canopy in Stamp River Provincial Park in Alberni, BC

trees in the fall

Trees near the magic waterfall in the woods where I walk

Girl holding seedlings

Clare helping me sell trees as a fundraiser

Palm trees at dusk

Palm trees from the Carolinas, where we vacation every year

willow trees
Trees I planted 30 years ago in Saddington Park, Mississauga
Arbutus tree

Arbutus tree in British Columbia

Trees in the mist

More from my back deck, definitely my happy place

Posted on in nature

Leave a legacy

willow trees
Trees I planted 30 years ago

“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die.”

Ray Bradbury, author of Farhenheit 451

I’ve never thought much about what my legacy to this world will be. My children, perhaps. I live a small life so I highly doubt my name will appear in any history book or there will be a statue erected somewhere in my honour. I’m just one of a billion ordinary people in the world going about their ordinary lives.

Recently, I spent the afternoon in Mississauga strolling through JC Saddington Park by the lake. Many residents of Port Credit may not be aware that JC Saddington was actually a landfill site before it was converted to parkland.

I helped plant all the trees in that park as a summer student working for the City of Mississauga forestry department. The soil was clay and the conditions were terrible, but I marvelled as I strolled through the winding paths to see that the little wispy willow whips I planted more than 30 years ago had grown into beautiful graceful trees providing much-needed shade to the park goers on an unusually hot September day.

This week’s #HappyAct is to do something that will leave a mark on this world. As Mr. Bradbury said, “It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it.”

If you’re interested in planting a tree to leave a legacy, join the legions of volunteers who will be planting trees this week (September 27 is National Tree Day). In Kingston, there’s tree planting at Lemoine’s Point next Saturday, September 30th at 9 a.m. at the south entrance.