Essay

The Magnificence of Nature’s Trees

They never fail to take my breath away

Some might find it strange to feel connected to a tree. Not I.

We have more than two hundred trees on our property. Almost all of them planted by my husband and I over the past thirty-three years we’ve lived here. Well, he planted. I let him know where to plant them.

Some of them were planted with a specific purpose in mind. The wind rows to catch the snow blowing in from the marsh-like property directly north of us and the farmer’s field beyond. Those same trees help to soften the northern winds as they sweep across the Canadian prairies.

We have trees planted on the south side which serve a few purposes for us. They indicate the southern edge of our property, serve as a privacy screen in the summer, and quiet the sounds of the occasional car passing by. I like to think that they also quiet the rumble of the trains as they travel back and forth and the call of their whistle when they continue on their westward journeys. My husband would disagree that they do anything to soften the sounds of the trains.

Both the west and east edges of our property are also flanked by trees planted in straight lines. They’re markers indicating the outer edges of our property.

Because we own three pieces of land, we also have numerous rows of trees on the east and west edges of the center section that our home is built on. I love being underneath the canopy of these trees in the summer. My husband and I always walk among them during the summer and fall. They provide a shaded walk protecting us from the hot summer sun.

We also have trees spread throughout the yard. Some to provide shade for the seating areas beneath them, some just for the beauty they add to the landscape, and some strategically placed to catch the blowing snow in the winter. All of the trees attract birds in the summer which fills the air with their song and chatter, and occasionally their shrill warnings and tweets of anger.

In the winter the trees are bare of both leaves and birds. Among the last of the birds to leave are the Robins. It’s as though they need to hear the honk of the Canada Geese as they fly overhead for warmer climates before the Robins realize it’s time to do the same.

My favourite tree is the Poplar that is planted just beyond the front deck. It towers far higher than our roof and is visible through both my library and personal office windows.

We planted this tree and its sister tree the second year we lived here. They both run alongside the driveway.

I love the delicious sound these trees make when the breeze gently dances with their leaves. Their strong branches easily sway in even the most ferocious summer storms.

The tree I call my favourite seems to somehow be connected to me. As though we know each other. This tree, like me, has encountered challenging times. My youngest son, when about ten years old, decided to give the young tree a trim and removed the main branch. I was sure the tree wouldn’t survive what was almost a beheading of sorts for it. Surprisingly, it flourished. And even though the two trees were the same size when planted, this tree is much taller and definitely larger than its sister tree.

This Poplar tree even survived the attack of a very large woodpecker. I heard the woodpecker at the tree through my open window and was surprised to discover it was larger than my cat, and it had a mission. All I could do was to watch it attack the tree while I took photos of it. When it finally stopped and flew away there was a large hole left in the tree. The tree survived though.

I had a habit of going up to the tree and touching it every day when I left for work. I would wish it a good day and wonder at the strength of it. Its branches so large they could have easily been the main trunk of a tree in their own right. I liked to gently lift these lower branches just enough to experience their weight.

It’s hard to explain how grounded and safe I feel when I’m near this tree or see it outside my window. It feels like we’re meant to be together, experiencing the wonders of nature together through the beauty of the tree.

The stillness of a summer day, the gently breeze, the ferocious summer and winter storms all speak to the tree in their own unique way. The tree interprets these messages for me through its branches and leaves.

My favourite place to sit beneath the trees is in the north/west section of the center property. It is tucked beside the inner west rows of trees and at the north end of our property. A black wrought iron gazebo area waits for our lazy summer evening talks. The true magnificence of this corner of our yard happens in the winter just after a hoar frost as shown in the photo above. The beauty of the nature of our yard never fails to take my breath away.

I feel a connection to all of the trees on our property and the individual reasons for each of them to co-exist with us. We all breathe, we all grow, we reproduce, we flourish, we rest, we protect, we provide shelter for others, and food in our own ways. We each speak our own language and at times groan under the pressure of life. One day, we will all come to end of our lives.

The Poplar tree has been a part of my life for thirty-one years now. I know that I will mourn the day this graceful and vibrant tree experiences its last day on earth. In the meantime, I will continue to spend many hours appreciating every experience it has to offer, even it it is just spending some of those hours just admiring it through my windows on a cold winter day.

This piece was written as part of a Garden of Neuro writing workshop. All women are welcome! Click the link to join us.