These days, the need for a variety of trees in the landscape is greater than
ever as our cities expand, green spaces diminish, and air pollution increases.
Emotions run high and citizen groups fight developers as legacy trees are
sometimes sacrificed in the name of progress. But the good news is that more
and more municipalities across the country are building new parks and making it
a requirement of new construction to leave a site with more trees than may have
been there in the first place. And though they are saplings today, these trees
will bring shade, seasonal color, and beautiful variety to the gardens and
public spaces of the future.
As a residential garden designer, I encourage you to plant the largest trees you
can afford in your own space, bringing specimens in with a crane, if possible.
Although that may seem an extravagant measure, consider the benefits. If your
home is new, trees well on their way to maturity will contribute an air of
permanence and scale to your landscape and bring you immediate pleasure in your
garden. If you’re living in an older home with an established landscape, seek out and work
closely with a certified arborist to assist you with annual pruning and in
protecting your trees’ long-term health. Many a beautiful mature tree has been needlessly lost to
disease or wind damage that could have been prevented by proper maintenance
each season.
Bailey Nurseries, in St. Paul, Minnesota, recently announced home gardener
access to its online image library at www.baileynurseries.com. Here, you can
easily locate trees by name, height, habit, zone, bloom date, and exposure and
quickly print all the information for future reference.
As you consider trees for your landscape, remember that planting a tree has many
far-reaching benefits beyond our own front yard. Here are just a few:
• Trees lower local air temperatures by transpiring water and shading surfaces.
Because they lower air temperatures, shade buildings in the summer, and block
winter winds, they reduce building energy use and cooling costs dramatically.
• Planting trees remains the cheapest, most-effective means of drawing excess
carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. In one year, an average tree produces enough oxygen for a
family of four and absorbs CO2 output from four cars. If every American family planted just one tree, the
amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion pounds annually—almost five percent of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere
each year.
• The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that with improvements in plant
productivity and conversion efficiencies, 25 percent of U.S.-imported oil could
be displaced by plantation-grown trees by 2050.
When Einstein noted that it’s never too late to begin planting trees, he had no idea the challenges our
society would someday face. But we can all make a difference. So find a tree
that you love, get your shovel, and start digging. Your grandchildren—and your planet—will one day thank you for your contribution.
