Lent: Planted

Shortly after we bought our house in 1999, we planted a maple sapling in the hole that had been left in the front yard by the post of the Realtor's sign.

The tree was planted with two things in mind. One, we were planting it to celebrate the impending birth of our daughter. Second, like all things that we plant, it was an expression of hope for the future, that we one day would enjoy benefits from that act of faith.

That first summer was touch-and-go,and the tree didn't seem to grow any taller. The summer was hot and dry, and at the end of every day, the leaves of the sapling would droop and the tree as a whole looked wilted as a result. Every morning and every evening I would dutifully water the tree, the leaves would pick up and it would survive another day.

The second summer wasn't so bad. It was still hot, but not as dry; and while it no longer wilted, it grew a few new leaves but seemed no taller at the end  of the season than it had been at the start.

Something happened between years three and four. This tiny maple grew taller and stronger. The trunk shot up so quickly that you could hear it, and a crown of branches spread out that began to shield the rest of the front yard.It turns out that for the first two years the maple was putting down roots where it was planted to anchor itself and boost its own chances of survival.

We're coming up on 20 years since we planted that tree, and it's amazing the difference it has made. Its branches are so thick and so leafy that they shade the front of the house from the heat of the day during the summer. Every fall it blankets the front yard in a thick layer of color that our youngest rustles through on the way to school in the morning. Birds have built nests in its branches, squirrels have raced up and down its trunk, and on the ground below shade-tolerant plants have begun to establish themselves.

It's like that all over the yard where we've planted flower beds and gardens. Painted ladies and monarchs have had their fill at the butterfly garden, and bees of all sorts celebrate the arrival of spring as the crocuses life their faces to the sun. Whether I planted these things myself or if as is often the case they planted themselves is irrelevant. The plants are flourishing where they are planted, and they make the yard a wonderful place to sit in the evening, or to walk through during the day.

What about you? Where are you planted,and how is it better for your presence?


Copyright © 2019 by David Learn. Used with permission.


Tweet