Some trees are not just trees. They are stories and memories and markers.
These two catalpas were given to me as tiny seedlings by a dear gardening friend.
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Our children started this shade master locust from seed about 23 years ago.
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For our 25th Wedding anniversary in 2008, we gave all the guests tiny blue spruce seedlings. These were some extras we had that survived. The first 9 or 10 years seem quite slow, but then growth is exponential, and these have really taken off in the last few years.
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I started this star magnolia from seed over 20 years ago. I think it took 9 years to bloom, with about 13 blooms the first year. A big piece of the willow tree came down and sheared nearly half of it off one year, but it has recovered nicely.
![](https://willowparkpatch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tree-Story-683x1024.jpg)
When our children’s school celebrated in 2000, they gave out pine seedlings. Great tree for Christmas greens.
![](https://willowparkpatch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tree-Story-4-683x1024.jpg)
For several years, we were able to receive free trees from the township. They were bare root, six foot sticks, usually maple of some sort. We got a couple of crimson maples for colour, and this red maple, which is just ablaze with colour in the fall.
![](https://willowparkpatch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tree-Story-1-683x1024.jpg)
Two cedars my parents had in pots, and they needed a home.
![](https://willowparkpatch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tree-Story-5.jpg)
Over the years we have watched our tiny trees grow into maturity, giving shade, and colour, beauty and life to the garden. Each one has a special place and purpose in the garden, adding to the stories and memories.