Arbor Day

Arbor Day - April 26,- Never paid too much attention to this day, the annual plant a tree day. We have lots of trees in the Pacific Northwest. Then this winter we heard Wangari Maathai speak. Wangari is the First Environmentlaist to Win the Nobel Prize for Peace. She won the prize because she has changed the lives of thousands of people by her efforts to plant trees in Africa, rural Kenya. She wrote a book called Unbowed ,which I have bought and not read yet. However hearing her speak was inspirational. So while thinking trees and planting is part of spring this year for Arbor Day I will start reading this book. Two weeks ago I planted or replanted six Ponderosa Pines that were growing in the road right-away. These grand native trees would have been chopped down because they would have grown into the power lines and hung over over the road. I couldn't wait until Arbor Day because the weather becomes too dry. Trees on the East side of the Cascade must be planted late fall or late winter to take advantage of the cool days and the rain fall. This isn't a concern where you are because you get summer rain. So bless the long cool days of spring. The bundle up days of gardening allow us to slowly wake from winter and stretch gradually to seeds and transplants.