The Resiliency of Trees

The first year that we lived in our home we planted around 18 trees. Several of them were Maples. I love Maple trees and I really appreciate their vibrant color in the fall. I placed two up on the hill not too far from the house so that I would be able to enjoy them from the front porch. During the five years that they have been planted, they have grown incredibly well. They have probably doubled in size. We came home several days ago from running some errands and found that a large locust tree fell over and all but crushed my beautiful tree. 😡😭 The cleanup took days. I'm pretty sure the tree will survive, but the poor thing is very injured. It had several limbs ripped off. It will take several years to recover and there's no doubt that it will never look the same again. 😞 On a positive note.....we have enough firewood from the fallen tree to last us for several years. 😆😳

Pruning the blackberries and raspberries is always a big undertaking. There are 8 long rows of them so finishing the job takes several days . It never ceases to amaze me how long those vines and canes grow. Every year when I start shearing, I worry that I'm going to cut too much and kill the plant. However, they always grow back faster and stronger. In fact, they grow back so rapidly that in a matter of a couple of months it will look like they never had a hair cut. The payoff or the reward from taking care of them far outweighs any discomfort the carpal tunnel brings me. Those beautiful juicy berries are definitely worth all the effort!

As I'm writing about the rapid growth and recovery of the berry bushes, I'm reminded of my poor injured tree. Maybe there's hope? Maybe my tree will recover more quickly than I am expecting. 🙏🙏 When trees or shrubs are cut or pruned, sugars and nutrients within the tree rush to the injured site to encourage healing and restoration. Does that sound familiar? Our own bodies do the same thing. Incredible! The wonders of creation and science always boggle my mind. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the progress of the berries and the healing of the tree. Keep your fingers crossed! 🤞🤞