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 ello fellow Earthlings, and welcome to the shade.
Our topic this time is why trees are such valuable and intelligent
things to have in our gardens. They're not just good things to
tether a rope swing to; trees have value in our gardens far beyond
how beautiful they are.
 In the
residential garden, it makes very good sense to plant trees.
These plants come in infinite shapes and sizes to suit the particular
conditions in any yard, large or small. Trees provide us with
fresh fruit in the summertime, they fill their canopies with
vibrant or subtle colors, and they provide cool shade. But probably
their most valuable contribution to our local environments is
the fact that trees provide shelter for myriad critters that
are beneficial to the garden.
Fruit trees
are some of our favorite things to grow in the residential garden.
They give us fresh fruit and all they require from us is a few
hours a year of care. Now that spring has fully sprung and the
memory of that apple tree in full bloom is still fresh in our
minds, we can remember that it's not just about the fruit. Fruit
trees are harbingers of warmer weather. When an apricot or a
plum is in full bloom, we are reminded of warm evenings on the
porch or barbecues in the back yard.
But I think
they give us something more. Fruit trees remind us of the agrarian
heritage of producing our own foods that made this country so
prosperous. We have learned so much over the scores of years
since our pioneer ancestors first tilled the land. But we have
also forgotten the value of how they lived in partnership with
the land and a stewardship of their properties. In our age, colossal
factory farms use unconscionable quantities of harmful pesticides
in order to produce that florist-quality head of lettuce at the
grocery store. I see a fruit tree as a testimony to our inherent
desire to have our land feed us. I'm not sure if there is any
more rewarding thing to do in the garden than to sit under a
peach tree and just eat a fresh, ripe piece of fruit.
Ornamental
flowering trees have a very good place in the garden as well.
When they are in bloom, they show off the garden that we worked
so hard to make attractive. Flowering trees also have some of
the most fragrant and showy blossoms in a garden. The magnolias
that bloom in the early spring are perfect examples of how plants
let us know that warmer weather is coming. The flowering trees
available to us for our gardens are as numerous as we can imagine
and the colors!
Shade is smart!
Shade trees, be they evergreens or deciduous, provide cool shade
in the heat of summer. They can actually cut our electric bills
when they are placed strategically around the house. A shade
tree on the south side of a house can keep heat from the sun
from radiating through a wall. A shade tree that shades our air
conditioning units will allow the unit to take in cooler air
so it doesn't have to work as hard to cool the air it sends into
the house. Shade trees also provide shelter and homes for birds
and other critters that can help to control pests in our gardens.
But I like
the idea of having shade trees in front of a house because it
makes the house look so much further away from the street. There
is this feeling of fresh air when we walk up to a house where
the front yard has some shade. Really tall shade trees can actually
shade the roof of our homes, to lower our cooling bill in the
summer. This is also true in the winter; shade trees can reduce
our heating needs because they insulate the roof from the direct
effects of harsh weather. It is a fact that it is warmer under
a tree in very cold weather. The rope/tire swings and the tree
houses are just an added benefit.
One of the
greatest features about shade is the opportunity to grow shade-loving
plants and flowers in our gardens. They often come in those cool
blues and whites that make all those gardening pictures so beautiful.
Hostas, delphiniums, and begonias are just a few of the hundreds
of shade-lovers that can be planted directly beneath a shade
tree to enhance the overall beauty of our homes. One of my favorite
things to do is to plant cool season veggies like lettuce, carrots,
and spinach among ornamentals in the shade of a tree during the
summer. It extends the harvest and some of these edible plants
have very attractive foliage that can really enhance a shade
garden. Shade makes sense, trees make sense, and the added benefit
of fall leaves for the compost heap is a plus as well.
Next time
we will be discussing warm season vegetable gardening that will
provide tons of tasty food for you and your families. See you
in the Garden! 
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mill.net. Don Trotter's Natural Gardening columns appear nationally in environmentally sensitive publications. Look for Don's books Natural Gardening A-Z and The
Complete Natural Gardener, both from Hay House at your local
bookstore and all online booksellers. Chemical free gardening
is fun and easy. Try it!