The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ~Nelson Henderson
Having planted at least one tree at each cowcamp, I know that holds true for me.
I try never to go back to see how my trees are doing. Besides some are planted in places that only I know. Though I did recently look at a topo map of the last cowcamp the Cowman and I had. I planted 9 redwoods, 3 raywood ash, 3 black pine, 3 cedar and a fir there and a small orchard of threeway fruit trees. They are all gone except for a couple of the ash and the fir. I don't know why. A lot of thought went into their placement and they were growing well when I left.
When I was designing landscapes to help pay the bills for the cows I loved the process of finding the right trees for the owners and the land. A landscape with good bones endures.
While scanning the topo maps I found a large acreage that I, long ago, designed for a doctor and his family. The thing was that after many hours of work on that design, he said he didn't care for it, and would not be paying me more than a small consult fee. More than the money lost I was crushed that he didn't like the design. Now, looking at that plot of ground... I know he copied the drawings and had it planted exactly as designed. It is my design and the bones of that landscape have stood the test of time, I'm more than happy with that.
And with a touch of the hat brim to LL:
Good Timber
by Douglas Malloch
The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.
Good Timber
by Douglas Malloch
The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
Nelson Henderson - See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-quotes.html#sthash.tQKU470I.dpuf
Nelson Henderson - See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-quotes.html#sthash.tQKU470I.dpuf
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
Nelson Henderson - See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-quotes.html#sthash.tQKU470I.dpuf
Nelson Henderson - See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-quotes.html#sthash.tQKU470I.dpuf
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
Nelson Henderson - See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-quotes.html#sthash.tQKU470I.dpuf
Nelson Henderson - See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-quotes.html#sthash.tQKU470I.dpuf
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
Nelson Henderson - See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-quotes.html#sthash.tQKU470I.dpuf
Nelson Henderson - See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-quotes.html#sthash.tQKU470I.dpuf
Trees ~ BY JOYCE KILMER
ReplyDeleteI think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Source: Poetry (August 1913).
Good Timber
ReplyDeleteby Douglas Malloch
The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.
Having planted all those trees you have more than earned your reward in heaven. It would bother me to learn that certain trees did not survive and it would be-devil me until I figured out why. We live in the woods and have planted lots of trees.
ReplyDeleteThis is timely. I have been surprised by how sad I am at not getting to see two small trees we planted a year ago grow big and tall. Sadder than I am about other parts of the landscaping that should be far more personal to me.
ReplyDeleteThere's just something about trees. Soulful.
Today I can lay up in cool, shaded groves planted by my Dad, where once unproductive wheat ground suffered. Some of my own plantings are surprisingly far along; most are for the future. I get to revel in the beauty provided by others. Future others can revel in my work if they so choose.
ReplyDeleteGRANNYMAR: Thank you, it is good to revisit old poems.
ReplyDeleteLL: I have never read this one before, and love it. In fact I'm adding it into the post. Thank You!!
TABOR: Sometimes it bothers me, most of the time I just let it go. Mother Nature is the best designer.
JENNY: Do you think it's the ancient berserker in us?
PRAIRIEADVENTURE: You are blessed to have that continuity with the land of your ancestors. I hope it is always so. I miss the home ranch every day.
My husband should have been called "Ronnie Catalpa seed". He planted catalpa trees everywhere we went. We do not have one here and it is my goal to plant one but I want to try and get the seeds from one of the trees he planted along the way.
ReplyDeleteGood trees are worth every bit of pain and work that went into planting them... :-) Good on ya!
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed the tree poem(s) and what a bad doctor.
ReplyDeleteI planted a cherry tree, once. It turned into a monster!
I find my tastes are not shared by others as much as I'd like. If they were I'd be a millionaire from my woodworking.
ReplyDeleteGRANNY ANNIE: I hope you do that!
ReplyDeleteOLD NFO: They are wonderful.
LSP: Thanks. What did you do to that cherry tree Padre?
WOODSTERMAN: That was the hard part for me, as well.
Hello Brighid! I made it over here at last! Happy New Year, lovely tree lady and oh, such a beautiful poem.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the man who cares not for your design anymore, more fool him and well done you for creating something eternally beautiful :)
And now to bring your lovely post about trees to a political level, a little something by Rush:
ReplyDeleteThere is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the Maples want more sunlight
And the Oaks ignore their pleas
The trouble with the maples
(And they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade?
There is trouble in the forest
And the creatures all have fled
As the maples scream 'Oppression!'
And the oaks, just shake their heads
So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
'The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light'
Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw
We have to hack-back the overgrowth on out fruitless plum. It's just like a giant shrub. Nobody once cared for it properly over fifteen years and it's destroying itself.
ReplyDeleteThat Doc was a sleazy cheapskate sonofabitch, I hope Obabacare runs him to the poor-house and his wife takes-off with a Frenchman.
JULES: Well Howdy! A Happy New Year to you, and thanks for the kind words.
ReplyDeleteEURIPIDES: Thanks. The thing is Mother Nature runs the show and she doesn't put up with lib stuff.
NOTCLAWSWITZ: Sometimes it is better to take it out and start anew. Possibly use the best wood for a project.
I heard that karma got the doc.