Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/120635
fieldreport: FieldReport: news, trends & cool stuff Giving Back to Community & Nature - one tree at a time Arbor Day hit Hoover, Alabama, early this year during a tree celebration and giveaway at Aldridge Gardens. Dozens gathered on a snowy day in March for the City of Hoover Beautification Board's Colin Conner, City of Hoover forester, puts longleaf pines into bags for people to take home and plant. PHOTOS & TEXT BY LAUREN HEARTSILL DOWDLE event that revolved around tree care, planting tips and finding each resident the best plant for their yard. Attendees chose from more than 10 plant varieties – including blueberry, flowering dogwood, Southern crabapple, baldcypress and longleaf pine – to find the right fit for them and their lawn during the tree giveaway. After each person decided which plant to take home, he or she was given information on the species. These printed guides explained the tree's expected maturity height, how to plant the trees (bare-root and containerized trees), soil and sun requirements, bloom colors and how to best care for the specific tree. The crowd ranged from seasoned gardeners to young saplings like fourth grader Augusta Jones, who fell in love with a Japanese maple to take home. She was recognized during the festivities for an essay HISTORY OF ARBOR DAY • The holiday originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska, by J. Sterling Morton, a journalist, who later said, "Each generation takes the earth as trustees." • On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, volunteers planted one million trees. • In Kenya, people often plant palm and coconut trees along the Indian Ocean on this day. A P R I L 2013 TLC0113_FieldReport.indd 7 TotalLa nd s c a p e C a re . c o m 7 3/25/13 4:53 PM