Milestones and Memories with Trees by Susan Lee

 

Photo by Johnny Lee

Planting trees has long been used to mark special milestones and remember our loved ones. Whether it celebrates a newborn or marks losing a loved one, trees have been important in our lives.

Planting Trees to Celebrate a Newborn

I visited Wormsloe a beautiful plantation in Savannah Georgia to see an almost 300-year-old plantation.  I was excited to absorb the history of the place and learn all I could about the colonists.  It is known for the ruins made of a tabby mixture of seashells, limestone, and sand in 1793.  The building was just an outline of a once grand home.  The plantation passed through the family and continues to be owned by descendants of Noble Jones.

According to the Wormsloe historians, in the 1830s George Wimberley Jones De Renne renovated the plantation by building a new classical library, three interlocking ornamental gardens, and the famous oak allée. George Frederick Tilghman Jones (1827–1880) wanted some privacy, so he changed his name to George Wimberley Jones De Renne and the spelling of Wormslow to Wormsloe.  George Wimberley loved traveling to Europe and had his children receive their education in Europe. I was in awe of the 400 live oaks that he planted to celebrate the birth of his son. According to the tour guide, it was the custom in France for the father of a newborn son to plant a tree or trees. Once his son became a man, he could harvest the trees and build his own home.  The trees are still there lining a 1.5-mile entrance to the estate.  According to the Society of Architectural Historians, unfortunately, most of the trees were lost during a pine beetle infestation in the 1970s.  George planted the oak allée more for beauty and grandeur than for the provision of wealth for his son. 

There are similar European traditions regarding planting a tree at the time of a child’s birth.  It is often a nut or fruit tree; both the child and the tree grow together through the years.  In present-day France in Dordogne, the government is giving trees to parents of newborns to plant.  Their idea is to help families put down roots and cool the city simultaneously. 

Planting Trees when Losing a Loved One

Here in the United States, some people have a tradition of planting a tree when we lose someone we love.  Lakewood Parks and Recreation has two memorial donation programs including planting a tree or purchasing a bench.  The cost is $400 and the donations are guaranteed for ten years. During this time, the city will repair or replace the tree or bench when necessary. I was able to utilize this program when we lost a dear neighbor to cancer.  He and his wife took care of our neighborhood park, so it seemed fitting to plant a tree in his honor.  The oak didn’t make it through the first year. Lakewood replaced the tree before anyone even noticed. 

Photo by Susan Lee

Here is a photo of the memorial tree that happens to be an Oak.  In our case, we had a plaque made for the park in honor of our neighbor.  If you don't want to do the plaque you can have their name engraved on a leaf which is located on the second floor of the Lakewood Civic Center. 

Whether we plant 400 live Oaks or one Oak tree in a small neighborhood park, each tree is a wonder and makes our heart celebrate and remember.