Nikon D70s, f10, 1/16 sec, ISO 200, 28mm equivalent (click to enlarge)Our favourite tree is one that we grew from an acorn brought back by my stepfather from Canada. It is a Red Oak or Quercus Rubra (please feel free to correct me on that one). We planted it first of all in a small pot and it has graduated every couple of years to increasingly larger pots as it slowly but surely matured. Now we have it in an old wooden barrel that's been sawn in two (the kind you find in any garden centre). I doubt we could find a bigger pot so it is going to have to be planted soon.
Here's the thing. When it's planted that is it, no more moving. It will literally put down its roots until the day eventually comes (hopefully several generations in the future) when a storm, or disease or a need for it to be chopped down comes. What will the world be like then?! The tree has moved as we have moved house and in the same way that it has only partially put down roots so have we, settling but always in the knowledge that it will not be permanent, that the time will come, don't know when, but it will come that we shall be on the move again.
One of our dreams is to have our own place, a small cottage somewhere to escape to. I would be happy to plant our tree there...
2 comments:
How lovely! And it's always very special to have such a personal link to a tree. Q. rubra is one of a number of related and rather similar 'red oaks' from N. America. Do be careful where you plant it, because it will eventually grow into a forest tree up to 35m if it likes the site, and like all red oaks it likes a slightly alkaline soil (see http://www.onlinegardener.com/trees/Red%20oak.pdf ). W Cork should be OK!
Thank you Joc that's very helpful information.
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