Trees

When we decided to move back to Davis County from Park City, and first started looking for a place to move into, both Matt and I commented that it would be wonderful to have mature shade trees like we had at our old Layton home.  Of course, large trees in a desert state aren't commonplace, so that wasn't in the front of our minds.  We stumbled upon our current neighborhood and spoke with the builders about a custom home on an undeveloped lot, yet we dreamed of living on one of the lots that backed up to the creek - the ones with the huge willows in their backyards.  Those homes were already occupied and the salesperson laughed when we told him they were our dream lots, remarking, "those were some of the first ones to sell - and at a premium, sorry."  I really wanted to build from scratch so as to personalize everything, but Matt had other ideas and wanted something completely finished.  I agreed with Matt that if we could get into a home on one of the lots that we loved, I would give up the idea of building - it was all about the trees.  So, we wrote letters to the people in the neighborhood asking if they were moving soon.  We wrote to everyone along the street because we didn't want the four homeowners we were truly interested in to request an inflated price.  We knew the chances were slim of getting the location we desired so we were surprised when we got a call from one of the owners who was being transferred for work.  The house was not the floor plan or the style I would have picked, however, the location and landscaping won us over... especially the creek and the large willow trees.  And so, we moved in.

Of course the willows are one of the reasons we chose this home, and I love our trees, yet...

They are time consuming and take a lot of effort to care for.  In the spring I rake up seed pods and in the autumn I gather endless fallen leaves.  Year round I feel that I am constantly picking up branches that fall into our yard.  Sometimes windstorms or heavy snows trigger the branches to fall, other times they come down with seemingly no cause at all.  The kids get tired of dealing with the mess on the grass, sport court, and trampoline but I'm grateful they have the opportunity to learn tolerance in their youth.  I often get tired when caring for the trees as well, but I too am learning patience and tolerance.  I am not afraid of the hard work that I have to put forth however, because I love our trees.

There is a lot of dead wood mixed in with the live branches on our trees.  Some of the dry limbs have been cut down by myself or Matt.  A few of the branches, however, are too big for us to handle.  We need help from professionals to trim those immense limbs.  It's taken me a long time to admit that I need assistance with the trees because I like to do things on my own.  I don't know everything about yard care and I'm learning that that's ok.  I will need help pruning the trees so they can grow in the healthiest way possible since I love our trees.

Many people have told me that willows are not desirable trees.  In fact, a couple of individuals, including a gardening expert on the radio, have referred to them as "weedy trees" implying that they are of less value than the more popular varieties such as oak or elm.  Neighbors have commented that they feel bad for me because of the large amount of yard work I have to do.  Having climbed and played in a willow while growing up in my childhood home, and again experiencing their charms as an adult by caring for them in my own yard, I have a different perspective - I know deeply of their worth and value.  Despite the flaws of the willow, their critics have no idea how much I love our trees.

Our willows are beautiful.  The branches are a bit wild and unruly, jutting out in unique ways.  They seem to have a creative, imaginative, and original soul.  The trees are very giving: shade for our family and homes to animals.  These trees are often considered weak but I see a different kind of strength in the willow - it's constantly growing.  I love the feeling of solitude and peace I can get from going into our backyard.  Sometimes, when I'm calm and not in a rush I'll linger on the grass to watch the branches swaying in the wind and listen to the wind rustling through the leaves. These times give me joy because I'm again reminded of why I love our trees.

I've referred to our trees as willows, yet after my research I found there are so many varieties of the willow that I don't really know exactly how ours would be categorized.  However, I know a classification or label, although useful in helping you know how to better care for your tree, is just a minimal part of it's character.  All trees are special, all have flaws, and all and have something to offer but...

I chose these trees, and I would choose them all over again, because

I love our trees.