La Belette Rouge has been sad about the absence of real trees in LA. I'm a big fan of the Palm tree, but La Belette Rouge is not. So since I'm surrounded by big real trees, I'm sharing them with you.
Today's tree is one of the row of Chestnut Trees that line the bit of land between two neighboring driveways, mine and my neighbors. Technically the trees belong to them. But the biggest branches of this ancient behemoth arc over my driveway and the top of my house. It's in bloom right now--big tall cones of fragrant blossoms. It will be dropping sticky pollen by the bucket full for days. Then the almost flesh colored blossoms will start falling in the slightest breeze and stick to the sticky pollen that is stuck to the top of the cars, and the length of the driveway, the sidewalk, the lawn, and roof of the house. It's both lovely and a nuisance. However, if I were driving by on a strange street and saw this amazing tree, I'd think it was magnificant.
14 comments:
I remember planting trees with my parents back when I was in my early teens. All of them with the exception of a maple that caught a disease and had to be cut down are still there.
I still love the red oak we planted and if I was smaller, I'd climb it.
Kevin, there are many trees in my neighborhood that were probably here when the pioneers "discovered" this valley. I have one of them in my back yard. But a lot of the trees were planted by my parents when I was young. Then when I turned the garage into the little house, I planted a lot more. Now some of the trees that were planted are too big for the space they were planted in. And I need money to get them removed or trimmed into better health. Some trees have grown into twisted shapes trying to find a bit of sun.
But the one tree we've all climbed when young, is the Green Ash that was here before the white folks moved to Utah. I'm saving it for another post. I have yet to take pictures of this years spring foliage.
Gees iffen you're giving away trees....howza bout just giving me some weed? Ain't asking much.
Okjimmm! You're out and about. I'm happy to share with you. I even have beer in the fridge for guests.
I remember a huge oak tree in my hometown that was growing on a huge empty section of land. One of my earliest memories was looking in awe at the tree house some much older kids had built in its branches.
As I grew older I remember seeing how different tree houses had been built in the tree apparently after the older ones had fallen apart.
Since the empty section of land the tree was close to the town's park I figured that at some point I would have my time in those branches. But it just wasn't going to happen.
After moving around on my mom's crazed travels we returned home to find the old oak tree gone and a couple of new houses in its place.
God, that's sad Beach. No tree like that should ever be cut for new housing. The only new housing allowed for a tree like that is a better treehouse.
I could ask for not better gift than a tree and this one is so beautiful. These are REAL trees. This is exactly what I want. Trees that shed, that make shade, that make the air cleaner and mark the seasons. Thank you!!!!!!! No one has ever given me a tree before, not even a virtual one, and I am touched.
Love you!
xoxo
That's a great gesture, Utah! We planted some trees at the last place and I'll miss them, but we did gain some really tall pine, dogwoods several variety of oak and a couple of trees we still have to identify.
I think the chestnuts here are done making their mixed bag of beauty and mess.
fabulous. i remember some really beautiful jacaranda trees in the area. love the canary island pines. liquidambers!
la has lots of really nice trees that wouldn't survive vermont winters. acacias, eucalyptus, coral trees among them.
the ol' mediterranean clinmate, doncha know... let's not forget citrus, though overdevelopment has really clobbered their numbers.
sometimes i read books just for their southern calif settings.
Me too Lulu Maude, Santa Barbara is my favorite place. It has everything. Old trees of great variety and the perfect Mediterranean climate.
There aren't enough trees around. I wish our yard had a big one. I'd even take sticky blossoms all over my rusty beater.
Utah and Loulou: I was in Montecito last weekend and was oohing and aahing over all the trees. Sooo gorgeous. Utah, we went to the crab shack at the end of the SB pier. LOVE that place and then to McConnell's. I LOVE SB!
There are places in L.A. with trees but they are few and far between. I do love the Eucalyptus and orange trees. I didn't know we got the liquid ambers. I must look for them.
And, Loulou, I did write about the jacarandas in the my post that Utah linked to.
Hey I'm a friend o trees &beer....I just get confused,often, of whom is the better friend. Confusion can be a friend, too! Jus saying.
Great trees. I love big trees - we have two streets nearby that have amazing canopies of trees that were planted 100 years ago - one is all sycamores (or maybe plane trees?) and the other, oaks. Our street, sadly, had the maples, and all of them have died but the one in front of our house. The town has planted new trees but they aren't big enough yet.
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