2 October 2026 – But, first, how not to love a tree.
As practised by our City planners, for a very long time.
Namely: chop a hole in the sidewalk, stuff in a sapling…
and walk away.
Not surprisingly, trees do not much like this. They find ways to retaliate.
Roots rise up in protest, for example…
or just kick the sidewalk out of the way.
Well, oops.
City planners are finally paying attention. Now they try to treat those saplings with love.
They dig them into soil rampant with wonderful wild stuff…
and tuck them up with green watering bags.
Not only that, they encourage local residents to adopt them…
and care for them, throughout their critical early years.
Awww… the City has turned over a new leaf.
Bernie
/ 2 October 2026Reminds me we have about 300 trees that need a good fall watering next week. Good that cities are paying more attention.
Liz
/ 3 October 2026Yes. I have seen some trees like this where I walk. They are older than me because I have always known them to be like this from a young age.
araneus1
/ 3 October 2026In 1963, in my boyhood suburb, the council decided to plant paperbark trees. This was a big deal in my working class suburb. After planting, they never came back. Most householders were so shocked to see trees in their street, they watered them and kept them alive through one of the longest droughts we have ever seen. At the end of our street stood a huge factory. Naturally, the people who owned the factory didn’t care about the trees. I did. All bar one of these ‘factory trees’ died quickly. I had to walk past them on the way to school. I noticed that one was clinging to life, so I took a cup of water with me on the way to school and carried a bucket of water down to it at night. That bucket weighed a lot after walking 80 metres or so. My arms ached, but I kept that tree alive. After I moved out and my parents died, they pulled that factory down and built town houses. 63 years later, and that tree is still there!
icelandpenny
/ 6 October 2026What a story. What a tree! thanks
Resa
/ 5 October 2026YAY!
I’m an old tree hugger. Thanks Penny!