How to make tree stories

So there is a guy named Jeff Meyer. He is a passionate man. Passionate about trees. He wrote a book called The Tree Book. His book is a practical guide to selecting and maintaining the best trees for your yard and home. He also shares his tree passion on several public TV documentaries and broadcasts.

I checked his book out at the library because I wanted to write a blog post about what varieties of trees are best for small yards, big yards,  the best street trees, shade trees, etc. As I read the first few pages of his book I was inspired by his passion for trees AND for history. He started and owns a company that collects seeds from trees that are important to the history of this nation and grows seedling trees and sells them. 

He sells trees that are grown from a honey locust tree (MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SHADE TREE) that lived when Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address during the American civil war at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. He grows seedlings from the last living apple tree planted by John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed. He grows and sells seeds from trees involved in the lives of many American historical heroes including many of our past presidents and figures like Amelia Earhart and Henry Ford. It's touching that Jeff Meyer allows all kinds of real life history to continue through his passion for trees.

Gettysburg National Cemetery

I love trees. I love history. I am a bit of a romantic and extremely sentimental so his words spoke to me:

Most trees live longer than people do, and planting one is an act of faith, a gift of hope for the future, and a powerful gesture.  I look at a tree and see history - my personal history as well as my connection to all that's gone on before me and what will happen long after I'm gone. Watching a tree grow is like watching time pass - barely perceptible, yet happening all the same.  Trees change with gentle seasonality, reminding us of the invisible hand of nature.  And losing a tree make us realize our own vulnerability, marking a permanent shift in time and place. 

So with that said, let's get you planting a tree!  Figure out a reason to plant a tree this month and go buy one! Whether its celebrating your teenager's football season, your youngest getting potty trained, maybe your own birthday or anniversary, or an accomplishment of anyone in your family; planting a tree is a splendid way to mark great events in your lives. Sometimes we need an excuse to get out the good dishes, use the good silver, or do something without needing a special occasion. So find an excuse to plant a tree as well.

I've planted a bunch of trees in my yard over the years and they are all attached to some kind of memory. I see trees in my yard and think "I planted that tree when I was pregnant with my second child," "I planted that tree because my friend Sandy loved that kind," and "I got that tree from sweet old Ralph and I hope he makes it through the winter." My children have been involved in the planting of some of them and I've told them the stories behind some of them as well. They all have a story to me. But there many more stories to be written and told. Tree stories that involve your family and friends.  Stories that remember, honor, memorialize, and commemorate the important people and events in your life. 

Every individual tree we plant is an expression of the relationship between man and planet, time and place.  Like others, I plant trees to mark important personal moments or events in my own and my family's life. - Jeff Meyer

Happy tree planting this fall and happy tree story making. CLICK HERE if you want to read a little more info about Jeff Meyer and his Silent Witnesses historical tree program. 

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com