Comments on: My fantasy trees

By: phyte club katie

phyte club katie — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 03:51:57 +0000

I totally hear you on the land fantasies. Mine involves lots of native California oaks, the kind that are gnarled with lots of good “v’s” for easy climbing, that stud the dry yellow hills of Sonoma county. And probably some redwoods and sinuous burgundy madrones as well.

By: Dirty Girl Gardening

Dirty Girl Gardening — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 01:17:39 +0000

Land fantasies are the best kind!

By: Andrea Bellamy

Andrea Bellamy — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:43:09 +0000

Meemsnyc – Aren’t they gorgeous? Love them.

Zoe – I just googled black locust and realized that I’ve seen one before – the ‘Aurea’ cultivar with golden chartreuse leaves. Love it!

Gina – I love horse chestnut trees too! My neighbour had one when I was a kid – there’s so much you can do with their pods!

Georgia – oo! Love that list. You’re probably right about the sweetgum (that’s what you get when you source photos from Flickr!) – I changed the photo.

Linus – :)

Megan – I have a whole ‘nother list of edible trees I’d plant, and cherry is near the top! So pretty. (I also used to peel the bark off birches to make “paper”)

Kevin – Thanks! What is it about being surrounded by evergreens that makes you want to plant the exact opposite? I wonder if easterners dream of planting conifers!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:08:52 +0000

Great list! I grew up surrounded by walls of dark cedars in N. Van and now am all about the deciduous. Love the katsura in particular… I am keeping one in a container on the deck. Probably this is mistreating it but it is such a great tree. I will one day soon have to set it free somewhere as it will outgrow our little East Van yard.

By: Megan

Megan — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:51:59 +0000

Maple – I agree!! So beautiful. I’d also love to have a cherry tree, but the Alberta prairies climate does not cooperate with those.

I have a love for paper birch. I grew up in the woodlands area of Alberta and one of my favorite things to do when I was little was to peel off the layers of paper (although now I realize this was probably not the best thing for the trees).

By: Linus

Linus — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:26:14 +0000

I love this story and miss your childhood yard now.

By: Georgia

Georgia — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:26:43 +0000

p.s. I think the pods in your last photograph are sweetgum fruits.

By: Georgia

Georgia — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:21:51 +0000

If I had a very large yard, I would plant ginkgo, tulip tree, sweetgum, dawn redwood, and horsechestnut.

By: gina

gina — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 21:27:45 +0000

giant sequoia, coast redwood, and Horse-chestnut trees! (of course big leaf maple trees too!) i only have a quarter acre though… darn. ;) i’m glad someone else dreams of having lots of big trees!

By: Zoe

Zoe — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 21:26:27 +0000

I love the ones you’ve listed, though I’m not familiar with katsura. My fantasy tree is black locust… It is native to my area on the east coast, and has fragrant white flowers that bees love. It has a dark, twisted, towering habit. I hope to plant a grove of them when I move to the country someday.