Plum Tree Epiphany
by Ferida Wolff
The seasons change and with it my perspective. My garden is a meditation on the interconnectedness of all things. Every growing thing, people included, has its own cycle and reaction to life’s challenges.
During the spring our flowering plum tree puts out beautiful leaves and buds, always a joy to see. In the summer the branches fill out and spread giving our front lawn shade and elegance. It is truly lovely to look at though its unbridled growth was beginning to cause problems. I have always had trouble pruning plants; it somehow seemed to be an assault on the plant’s natural development. But this tree was getting out of hand, reaching out over the lower roof and heading toward our neighbor’s house. We all had to duck to walk toward our backyards. So as autumn approached, we trimmed the tree hoping to keep the next spring’s growth away from both houses. I had to admit that it looked neater when the trimming was done.
Only now that winter is just about here, we discovered some other consequences of unbridled growth. The tree had created so much shade that the Japanese cutleaf maple growing several feet away was affected. It was hard to tell in the summer as both plants put out reddish leaves but in the bareness of fall it was startling. The maple was full and bushy on the right and sparse and pathetic on the left, nearest the plum tree. The growth of one inhibited the life expression of the other.
When I leave my house I see the full side from my driveway so it took me a while, until I drove up on the other side of the street, to see the other. It was a shock. I love that little tree and I had harmed it.
Oh, how I wish I had trimmed the plum years ago. It obviously had not hurt the tree and it would have prevented the asymmetrical growth of the maple, which was doing its best to survive. An example of unintended consequences. But even more than that, here is a reminder of how everything we do has an extended effect. If it is so dramatic with plum and maple trees, how much more so with people? I know it isn’t possible to be aware of the full impact we have through our actions but it gives me pause to realize that each of us has the power to change the world we live in one thought, one action, one child, one plant at a time.
Here is some information on Japanese cutleaf maple trees, truly a lovely garden feature:
http://www.qscaping.com/NetPS-Engine.asp?CCID=20000011&page=pdp&PID=5838
©2011 Ferida Wolff for SeniorWomen.com
More Articles
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention): 6 Things You Need to Know About This Flu Season
- The Strong Museum: Home to International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the World Video Game Hall of Fame
- A Magical of Christmas; a Season of Hope
- I'm Not a Pillar or a Cornerstone, Maybe I'm a Small Brick
- Thinking Thankful: The Pings to the Heart
- The Upheaval of a Broken Bar Stool and a 70-Gallon Fish Tank
- Here and Now: A History of Trips That Yield the Most Various Experiences in the Smallest Locales
- Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Grackles Out for Dinner; A Flock is a Family
- Is the Queen Bee Lack of Effectiveness In 'Availability' to Blame? Bee Informed Partnership Releases Another Discouraging Report About Bee Colony Loss
- Ending Modern Slavery: A Senate Committee's Hearing; Bills Introduced On Abortion, Breast Density & Enhancing Adoptive Services