Little Trees

God ". . . calleth those things which be not as though they were." Romans 4:17b

When we bought our house seven years ago, we signed papers from the homeowner's association agreeing to a number of requirements, one of which was to plant trees every so many feet in our backyard. I have spent numerous hours poring over garden books and researching the internet to come up with a list of plants that I felt would work well in our landscaping plans. Three weeks ago we finally brought home three little trees, basing our decision on what they will become when they are full grown. It is hard for me to see them as they are, because I am excited for the time when they will fill the place in our landscape for which they were chosen.

So much potential.

Perhaps this is similar to how God sees us. I already love these skinny, crooked trees with their sparse sprinkling of leaves. We tend them carefully, making sure they have plenty of water, watching for strong winds that might blow them over. We may need to add stakes if they start leaning. One will require fertilizer in the spring and two will probably need pruning for shape and to remove awkward or crossing branches.

My favorite spring tree is the flowering cherry. They often need to be replaced after about twenty years, but that didn't discourage me from getting one! I am delighted to see that it turns orange in the fall, which it has already done. We planted it almost directly behind the kitchen window so I can see it as I do dishes or cook.

This is our crab apple. I really wanted a climbing tree next to the play area, and Kylen is anticipating picking its sour fruit.

Here is an evergreen that I thought would be nice behind our variegated red twig dogwoods in the front, since they drop their leaves for winter. It will be about seven feet tall and have a perfect cone shape. It's so cute! Reminds us of a tiny Christmas tree.

We plan to get more trees in the future, but this is a happy start!