tree tuesday — growing up
When we first moved to this house 6 summers ago, the gardens weren't planned in a way to allow trees and bushes growing space.
One of the trees that I was concerned about is this spruce. It was planted up against a fence and squashed between two mature spirea.
It wasn't growing at all.
I decided it needed to be moved and allowed to stretch it's branches and roots. Within three years it has tripled in size and I've been happy to see it spread outward and upward.
Before we relocated it, the spruce was about 3 feet (1m) tall and maybe 2 feet (60cm) around. Now it's a proud 10 feet (3.5m)+ by 7 feet (2.1m)+ and growing. By the end of this summer it will have grown another two feet (60cm). How do I know? It is showing growth at the top, the leader.
Most spruce trees grow 1 - 2 feet (30-60cm) each year.
Each little brown cone-like peg is a the beginning of a new branch. As it grows the needles are a bright lush green ultimately settling into the more familiar dark green.
I never saw a discontented tree.
They grip the ground as though they liked it,
and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do.
They go wandering forth in all directions with every wind,
going and coming like ourselves,
traveling with us around the sun two million miles a day,
and through space heaven knows how fast and far!
John Muir, July 1890
...You beautiful trees! I love every one of you as a friend...
Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea, 1909
photos by
Nikon D3100
Nikkor Lens 55mm-200mm
Adobe Lightroom
©All rights reserved, 2018
This is a screen shot of a comment I was typing as I was falling asleep last night. I voted but the comment never made it LOL!! I turned on the computer and there it was waiting !!! Even I have no idea what I was on about lol.
😂😂😂And you even have it on night mode.....too funny.....I've done something similar where I've typed the comment but didn't hit post and there it sits for days sometimes.
You saved the tree! Wonderful. It never ceases to amaze me how people plant trees and perennials without a thought about spacing needs. So sad. This tree is a beauty, I'm sure you smile every time you see it. Have you seen the John Muir documentary? it was such a wonderful show. He had quite a vision. Love the quote you included :)
Is that the one on PBS? There are a couple. I just finished watched the trailer to John Muir in the New World. There is another called High Sierra - A Journey on the John Muir Trail.
The quote I used today really gave me pause. It's very rich in meaning.
Incredible detail on that first one - I had to remind myself I was looking at the tip of a tree, and not a new tree unto itself! Just thought up a little haiku:
Glad to hear you saved it from an untimely withering :)
Look at you write! That's amazing how you can string words together just like that....no blockage today :)
Love it, Deb. Your photos remind me there is a world of beauty contained in just one tree:)
Yes....that's so true....good way of putting it. This tree became a "thing" for me....John didn't want to move it bc it made him nervous believing it would die.
I'm the gardener and I knew it needed more room. It took two years of convincing him how stunted the poor thing looked and John became a believer after it was moved and grew just in the one summer. I took before and after photos for him to remember :)
He can write, I can garden.
You are good match:)
Yup! 😇
How blessed you are... and the trees around you. You understand each other perfectly! Look at them! How beautiful and happy!
Gardening is very soulful isn't it? I learn a lot from it.
I no longer do gardening. I used to when I lived in Portugal and loved it! Maybe one day... But right now I'm too nomad for gardening, lol!
That spruce looks lovely in your backyard. :)
John likes to dress it up with lights in the winter so we can see them from our family room window. You know how everyone decorates the front of their houses for their neighbors to enjoy...he wants to see something for us as well.
Nice detail shots! It's nice to see trees doing well! Those coniferous trees are nice. Seeing green in winter is a good thing!
Plus, I hear spruce makes good guitars. :-)
I didn't know that about spruce. Maybe bc the wood is light? Oak is super heavy....??
I'm ot sure what kind of spruce, but yeah. Acoustic guitars use a variety of wood, but spruce is one of the better options for a brighter sound. I think they also use certain types of cedar for some.
I've been trying to teach myself Spanish guitar and did a little research before buying one. It has a spruce top, but is still a fairly cheap entry-level model. Maybe if I get good enough, I can make money playing on a street corner downtown?
I love the spanish guitar. The sound is amazing.
Maybe you could be a busker. You could be famous. You and your spruce guitar. Does he have a name yet?
The tree looks very healthy, Deb. How do I know this, because of the awesome photos you took of this beautiful specimen. Nice save!
Aw....thanks Dave. Glad you can appreciate gardening and nature too and photography :)
Oh, I do love spruce trees! That's a beauty! I am so glad you rescued it!
Me too! It's grown so much it was hard to frame it to capture the whole tree. It's full right now with new growth and I am looking forward to the continuing saga of our green friend's growth.
vivid photography!!
Thank you :)