A Tree to Remember
1st of September,
Spring in Australia
thinks it’s summer.
Birthday tree,
sapling Norfolk Island Pine
begins the journey
to remember
my late mother,
treasure in my eyes.
Rain, wind, salt and heat
pray on hard scaly leaves,
majesty in growth.
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Today is the first day of spring (and my late mother’s birthday) here in the sub-tropics of Australia.
Last year I planted a conifer for her, a Norfolk Island Pine – a tree that gets huge if the conditions are right. It has tripled in size – growing well (unlike most of the plants around here – the drought is taking it’s toll).
Happy birthday Mum xxxx
Here is the tree last year (when I planted it).
Mum’s Norfolk Island Pine
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September 1, 2014 at 9:48 am
Hi Gabrielle. It is lovely to see your mum’s Norfolk Island Pine doing so well. My thoughts are with you.
September 1, 2014 at 2:28 pm
thanks Helen – I’m surprised it’s doing so well, given we are not that close to the coast (and it needs the salty air apparently).
September 1, 2014 at 9:53 am
There is a bitter sweet memory in this post…but the tripling in size of the tree seems to express the love you have…be well my friend.
September 1, 2014 at 2:28 pm
thanks Charles 🙂
September 1, 2014 at 12:51 pm
A lovely way to remember & honour your Mum. A toast to you both on this special day.
September 1, 2014 at 2:29 pm
thanks Jane 🙂 I’ll have to crack the champers – any excuse will do – hahaha
September 2, 2014 at 5:55 am
lovely way to remember your Mum, good to see the tree doing well
Juliet
http://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com
September 2, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Thanks Juliet – I am very happy with the tree’s progress!
September 4, 2014 at 8:28 pm
A lovely reflection/commemoration, Gabrielle.
September 5, 2014 at 11:10 am
thanks Kat 😀
September 8, 2014 at 3:41 pm
It is such a lovely thing to do in remembrance. I still have my Dad’s ashes and plan to plant them under a magnolia soulangeana one day (he died in 2002 :-))
September 9, 2014 at 4:48 pm
that will be beautiful bb 🙂 just out of a morbid interest (and because I always wonder about this type of thing for practical purposes) – would you leave the ashes in a container or just pour them in the ground?
September 11, 2014 at 7:22 pm
I thought a lot about that, too, Gabe, particularly because I worry about moving and not being able to take him with me, so to speak 😳, but nevertheless my choice would be to pour them straight into the ground. It seems more natural that way, somehow…
September 12, 2014 at 5:05 pm
thanks bb – it’s a difficult decision!