Only God Can Make a Tree...

American poet Joyce Kilmer wrote, "...only God can make a tree." True, but man trims it. For years I have admired this beautifully shaped red maple sitting on a ridge overlooking the city. Change the time of day, or the weather, and the whole picture changes dramatically. I naively thought the tree's shape was natural, a wonderful happenstance. Wrong.

This beautiful tree is an example of true placemaking in action. It adds one more reason to visit this little parkette. This tree symbolizes an attitude, an attitude of care, of involvement in one's immediate world, of making aesthetic decisions and following through on them. The home owner could simply sit back and let the tree grow and expand and if a limb overhung the home, the offending limb could be chopped off. It would be a totally practical approach and not unknown. But no, this homeowner opts for beauty. Kudos!

To see what happens when there is absolutely no attitude of care read my piece featuring the trees in front of The London Free Press, a company that talks the talk but stumbles when it comes to walking the walk.

Addendum: the fellows from Abel Tree Expert Co. did such a fine job on my neighbour's trees, I immediately hired them to trim my personal little forest. This is not an ad. I get nothing for telling you that I was happy with their work and their fee. Abel Tree Expert Co. : 519-652-0927.

Cheers,
Rockinon