Planting trees has more immediate, mid term, and long-range benefits to a landscape than any other improvement a homeowner can make.

Distinctive Landscaping, our sister company, is often called upon to grade yards and build patios, plant gardens and construct stonewalls. We will labor for days to transform a barren or boring piece of ground into a crafted and finished landscape. Yet by far the biggest impact occurs at the very end of the process, when the trees go in.

When I get a chance to visit years later, It’s always the trees that make the significant contributions. Yes, the weathering of the stone patio, the maturing of the shrubbery, and the thickening of the groundcovers and the maturing of the gardens all contribute to the comfort of a mature landscape. But the significance of these subtle changes pales when compared to the maturing of the overhanging tree.

Trees make us comfortable.

While many plants wow us, trees protect and nurture us. They do the same for the spaces beneath them and alongside. They make the house “fit in” with nature. They cover the drive and parking area. They frame distant views. They define outdoor rooms.

I am still amazed at the requests we often get from people late in their lives to come and plant trees. It’s really a selfless act. Although it’s true there is benefit early on from planting trees, the real benefit is for years in the future.

When my youngest entered the Charlotte Central School, I began an Arbor Day program of planting two trees a year at the school on Arbor Day. For those unfamiliar, our school grounds had a few honeylocusts planted 10 feet from the building on the north and south sides – beautiful trees – and I was thankful for their being there – but they were primarily building ornamentation. Other than these and a couple of crabapples, the grounds were barren of trees.

The first trees planted are now real trees – 25 feet tall with a good girth of a trunk and decent crowns. Each arbor day, we mulch and fertilize them, taking care of our past trees as well as adding two new ones. By the time a first grader graduates, they will have watched the planting of 16 trees and the maintenance of 30+ trees. And the playground will have spots of shade.

I like the program because it demonstrates to children (and parents and teachers) that slow and steady wins the race. After 8 short years there are a few good-sized trees, a few medium sized trees, and a few still getting established.

My advise to homeowners is almost always to plant trees. Don’t be afraid or intimidated. Begin by trying to match species with soils. If your property is like most, this will give you different varieties of trees all by itself. If you have more time than resources, plant one or two each year. Try different varieties when you can. Match varieties when the effect would be better.

To choose a tree, try and figure out your soils. Dig a hole. Is it unusually wet? Does the soil clump together when squeezed (clay) or crumble (loam) or sift through your fingers (sand)? What trees are growing nearby in similar conditions? Armed with some soil info, stand back and decide on height and spread. This can have a tremendous range or a narrow range – all as you see it. Finally, evaluate the appropriate candidates, choosing for leaf, flower, texture, fruit or nuts, and fall color. This is the stage when it’s best to come to Horsfords to evaluate the alternatives. We can help narrow down the choices. We have larger trees throughout the property to show how different species mature. Thousands of trees are growing in our fields, are dug and ready to ship, and are in our container “pot n pot” field.

Before May 8, we will also deduct 20% from the cost of the tree if you tag it before we have dug them and pay in advance. We’re looking forward to your visit.