As the old saying goes “if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it still make a sound?” This often causes one to pause and say either “of course it does” or the eyes of the listener to wander as this existentialist conundrum confounds and questions the very nature of reality!
My new version of this saying – in an age when we need to be planting trees in massive numbers, rather than waiting for them to fall (so as to achieve enlightenment), is “If a tree seedling is planted in the field, grows to be part of a forest, sequesters carbon, becomes a source of life and biodiversity for the wider ecosystem, improves water filtration and quality in the landscape, and even looks pretty, but then eventually dies and falls over, only to again sequesters carbon, becomes a source of life and biodiversity for the wider ecosystem, improve water filtration and quality in the landscape, does it actually matter if it makes a sound when it falls over?” My thoughts are no, not really… Planting, growing, making life is what really matters, that’s all really (I’m sure that quite possibly that there is something deep and meaningful in this, but I’m too much on the material plane to get that perhaps…)
So to focus on the practicalities of planting, let’s think of some good reasons we all need to be investing and planting and restoring vegetation. 1) As discussed last month you can plant your own fire wood (we are currently harvesting some 15-20m high flooded gums that we only planted 12 years ago! 2) In these turbulent and uncertain times there’s never been a better time to plant fruit trees to help grow your own food. 3) Although the weather is cool now, summer will eventually return with a vengeance and the more shade we can grow, will help ease the midsummer blues. 4) There’s also the very good reason of planting habitat for our local wildlife as their beauty and the ecological benefits they bring are considerable.
At Forest Heart we have the plants and knowledge to help you. We have a great range of local natives (for revegetation, timber, firewood, windbreaks), cultivar natives, fruit trees, mulches, fertilisers, pots, books etc…
This August, Forest Heart our retail nursery celebrates its 5th birthday! We are part of Brush Turkey Enterprises a family business operated by long term locals for 22 years and we’re as passionate as ever about small enterprises role in preserving our unique biodiversity and creating healthier lifestyles with great gardens, farms and natural areas. Thankyou Maleny for you support and we look forward to continuing to work with you all to help green your little bit of the world.
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