I read Lab Girl a few years ago and loved how the author described her relationships with trees. I loved the trees in my neighborhood and knew the ones in my yard so well. In the back yard there was a horse chestnut tree whose spiky seed tennis balls were a curiosity and a nuisance. Along with the horse chestnut there were tons of gigantic tall oak trees on a 3/4 acre lot. The front yard had lilac bushes at 4 corners so the smell in the spring was like walking into a room. The weeping willow at the south east corner made the effect of walking into a room even more pronounced year round. In the north east corner there was a chinese lantern tree whose funny seed pods provided amusement for months. The azalea hedge along the front of the yard was a barrier. On the north side of the yard there were black berries growing on the flagstone retaining wall. Wild strawberries grew in the yard with buttercups in abundance. At the edge of the driveway there was a tulip poplar that I loved to pick the leaves of and hold up to my face. Next to the house there was a holly tree that had good branches for climbing but very pokey leaves. In front of the porch there were rose of sharon bushes that we would create little dolls out of by putting a bud onto an upside down blossom. There was a dog wood tree in the side yard we would climb to get onto the fence and leap to the tire swing suspended from a 20+foot branch of an oak tree.
I had a very happy time outdoors. I'm grateful for my childhood in Virginia.
3 comments:
I was waiting for the mention of the dogwood. It was fun to remember all that. There was also that cluster of bushes in the back yard, sort if near the old shed. What was the one down by the mailbox?
It’s funny, I have no clear understanding of the compass points and our house orientation.
I also remember the azalea on the south(?) side of the house, and the front yard dogwoods, with their red fruit. There was also the honeysuckles we would pluck and lick the “honey”. I don’t remember blackberries in our yard, but up the street growing toward the road. There was no sidewalk on our side of the road. Also, I have a memory of Dad cutting off some branches of the lilac trees at the corners, and sticking them in the ground to make a row by the front azalea row. And they grew. I thought that was so amazing.
Oh yeah! I remember watching a sunrise from the roof so I know the house faced east. Then I superimposed that orientation onto other memories.
I barely remembered the old shed. I think I was scared of it.
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