Best state quarters

While rummaging through a bowl of change to find laundry quarters the other day, I was pleased to see a large oak tree on the back of the Connecticut state quarter. This piqued my curiosity as to how many of our 50 state quarters are graced with the presence of trees. Here are the winners. Trees! You can view the rest of the 50 U.S. state quarters here. (Granted, there are a couple other states with trees in the background – Colorado, for one – but I was much more impressed with the prominence trees were given on these four).

Bonsai - the smallest trees of the new year

Have any of you noticed that I've never posted about bonsai? How can this be? I think I was waiting for the perfect bonsai situation to present itself, which it did – this past weekend at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Though, from the looks of the photos on their site, I'll have to visit again in April and again in the fall. Even bonsai trees bloom in the spring and change colors in autumn!

What's not to love about bonsai?
1) they are miniature
2) they are works of art
3) they are trees
Plus, they usually come in cool ceramic pots and frequently have tufts of spongy moss growing at the base.

They are beautiful. And cute! Bonsai are so exquisitely manicured and pruned so that some of these less-than-two-feet-tall little trees are actually over 100 years old. It's really quite amazing. Looking closely at a bonsai, I sometimes wish I were the size of a fairy so I could sit underneath one of them and take a nap. That moss would be so soft! bonsai surely must be the smallest trees of their kind in the world.

"Bonsai" refers to little trees in pots...and the art to coaxing a tree to age without growing big has to do with trimming both the leaves and roots. But there is more than just careful clipping involved: Bonsai "demands a spiritual involvement" by the artist. Julian Velasco, curator of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden bonsai collection, says that "the stronger the connection between artist and tree, the more the artist can bring out in that particular tree." The creator has a very intentional role, using wire to gently guide the trees into position.

There's much more to be said and learned about bonsai, but for now let's just enjoy them as works of art, shall we?

final trees of 2008

My dear friends. I've let time get away from me once again. I'm going to stop apologizing for it, starting now. It seems inevitable that I will have huge lapses in posting from time to time. I still love trees. It's a new year.

Christmas in the city was delectable. Holiday cheer, lights, spice cookies and trees! I was pleasantly surprised by the tree in Bryant park - I think I preferred it to (dare I say it) "The Tree" at Rockefeller. Of course, our own little Christmas "tree" was more of a bush this year, as all things "household" have had to downsize considerably. I made tree cookies this year. There's a first time for everything.

Here's to the best year yet.

Green-Wood

OK, I discovered the absolute Mecca of amazing trees and it's completely exciting. Seriously, this is my new favorite 478 acres ever. It took a couple months for us to get around to visiting Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, but once we did, we instantly realized we'd found one of the most beautiful spots in Brooklyn. Perfect for walking, thinking, playing guitar, writing, drawing, taking photographs, and ghost hunting. (note the charming funereal piano interludes when you visit their Web site).

I do believe there may be enough trees to keep me happy forever.

Perfect weather. Perfect trees. Upstate New York in the fall is so idyllic. It won't be long before the cold gray weather rolls in and takes hold for 5 or 6 months...but these fleeting autumn days before the winter are scrumptious. My weekend home was a bit too soon for peak colors...but it was glorious, nonetheless. And always with these picturesque trees and this crisp weather comes cider, cheese, donuts, apples, grapes, and everything "harvest." I just can't get enough.

A walk in the garden

By popular demand, a peek at some of the better local trees. These were not, in fact, taken at the park, as requested, but rather at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is delightfully walking distance from my home, and to which my mom bought me a membership for my birthday. Wonderful!

This is just a taste of the arboreal splendor to come (ie: I'll be out there again at some point with my camera and more time). By the way, can I just mention that I'm so excited that autumn is upon us! it's just the most perfect time of year for trees.

Oh, and if you simply MUST see a shot or two of trees in The Park, you'll have to make due with this poor quality photo (taken on my phone) of a glorious late afternoon moment:


Cheers!

like a whisper

Ack! It is high time for some tree art.
These are some fine-art photos that I stumbled upon. They are so quiet. So spacious. This is the work of Lou Raizin, an "emerging artist" according to VERVE Gallery and I don't know much else about Lou.

Enjoy!

my new home, and the new neighborhood trees

I live in Brooklyn now. The trees aren't so plentiful as before, but they are still just as interesting and varied. There so many wonderful places to explore and I've just begun to get to know the city trees around me. The trees pictured above are my new local friends. I don't live in one of those charming brownstones, but all I need to do is walk out the door and turn a corner, and the side streets are filled with these charming views. Walking these new streets fills me with amazement. This is where I live now. Mostly, it's impossible not to notice each tree's surroundings here. You don't see any lonely trees or forests. But the trees have wonderful backdrops of ornate churches or interesting buildings. Some are oddly placed so that they poke through the sidewalks along a busy street of shops and cafes.

My impression is that most of the trees around here are just a little confused. They don't seem terribly unhappy...this isn't, after all, the most enticing place for a tree to live...but they just seem a little unsure of how they're supposed to be living here in this big city with very little grass and too many people. Some of them seem particularly awkward...but most are just trying to be graceful the best they can, living between a pile of garbage bags and a fire hydrant...growing out of their little open square in the sidewalk.

The more I think about it, the sadder it seems. But really, like I said...maybe they aren't all that unhappy. Like a baby animal born in a zoo. They don't know life any differently. It's sad and it's not. And the joy they bring others!

So. I still like them, and I'm sure glad they live here in the city with me.

Trees at Duke Gardens through the eye of a cell phone

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Dear friends, I'm in Brooklyn now! So far, it's everything I hoped it would be. And trees do, in fact, grow here. Upon my departure, a very thoughtful friend gave me the most appropriate novel I can imagine, considering my current circumstance. I've been meaning to read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith for some time, and this seems the most perfect season of life to dive into it. Also, speaking of appropriate tree books, another friend just gave me the perfect book about trees, entitled simply, "The Tree," by Colin Tudge. "A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter." So perfect! As if I need a book to tell me why they matter.

Facts and info straight from that book to come...Hopefully this will make me a more knowledgeable tree blogger and person.

Hurray for Brooklyn! Hurray for trees! Many, many thanks to my friends who think of me when they see books about trees, and for these perfect gifts. You guys are great.