For a few years we've been nurturing some tree saplings we grew from seed. They've been steadily growing in pots, sat on a slate shelf in our back garden, five in total. Since we moved into our home seven years ago, we've planted about twenty trees. It's not a huge garden, but there's enough room in the front and back to grow some trees, so long as we don't let them become too big. Given that, we chose trees that don't grow too large and are either good for nature, or a local to our island home, such as the Anglesey Pig Snout apple tree and the Wild Service tree. Over the last couple of months we've planted a multi-stemmed birch which will grow to display a bright white trunk (Snow Queen), a small magnolia and an evergreen Strawberry tree.
Our plan has always been improve the environment around us, to encourage a diversity of wildlife to visit our garden. In our village and in fact in most places we visit, we've seen large, mature trees being cut down but not replaced with new ones. If this continues it won't be too many years before the horizon changes and the pleasure of watching the trees throughout the seasons will be a lost pleasure.
Today - Monday 4 November 2024 - we planted the five trees we've grown from seed; two oaks, two ash and a horse chestnut. We'd already selected the place to 'gorilla plant' them, in an area that's off any footpath, in a sheltered spot surrounded by other trees.
With tools and two large bottles of rainwater, we planted them in a clearing that's protected from the strong winds, but will allow them to benefit from rain and sunshine. We took along a small flask of Sloe Gin that Cathy found at home. It must be about ten years old so was more than ready to be enjoyed and this seemed a fitting occasion to do so!
She also wrote a poem in Welsh and English. Once all the trees were planted and watered, we toasted them with the Sloe Gin and spoke the poem words - me in English and Cathy in Welsh.
Hopefully the trees will prosper and we'll be able to return to that spot over the years to check on their progress, passing on the protective baton to our children once we're too old and infirm to go ourselves.
We urge you to plant some trees. If everyone plants just one tree, the world will be a more beautiful and cleaner place in the future.
Boed i chi dyfu'n fawr
Bydded i'ch gwreiddiau'n ymestyn i'r ddaear
Boed i chi loches inni yn y dyfodol
Byddwn yn eich caru chi am oesoedd
Tyfwch, twfwuch yn gryf!
May you grow big
May your roots reach into the earth
May you be a shelter to us in the future
We will love you forever
Grow, grow strong!
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