My Tree

I have searched. I knew I saved the name of my tree. Where. It is always the dilemma. I need to have one book. One book for everything. No more of all these little notebooks everywhere with all these entries of whatever. One journal that contains everything from day to day. A complete reference to my life. Thing is, I am addicted to paper. I see a pretty book - I have to own. I should take everything else other than this one journal and put them in a nice box and tuck them away. That's it.

Back to the tree. I bought this little tree at the beginning of fall last year. I was with Karen and we were driving around when we came across Portland Nursery. I was looking for a new pot for my orchid. This nursery is beautiful. Denise told me about it. Expensive but a joy to be there and I agree.

Karen and I walked for some time looking at end of the season beauties. I saw this little tree with its odd leaves and fell in love. "Asplenifolia", Rhamnus Frangula. I just call it My Tree. It almost looked like a bonsai. It was affordable because of the time of year. However, I became concerned come winter because, when the leaves fell off, the tips of the branches turned brown and looked very dead. All winter I kept touching the branches to make sure they were pliant. I kept it outdoors on the porch along with the pine tree bonsai. I was told at the nursery that this was an outdoor tree. But I was filled with fear. I do not like losing my charges.



And then it happened. A few weeks ago, I think in February, tiny little green things began growing from the tips. I was beside myself. Every day I would spend time with my tree watching the growth. Day after day. Then Two weeks ago, these little bulbs started to grow meaning they will get maybe flowers? Or something.....

Now I have never re-potted it. It has spent all winter in its plastic nursery pot. So Denise and I went out today to get a real pot.


This one I loved. Simple. Made in Italy. It is actually a dark brown/grey clay which this photo does not really portray well. It is very large. It will hold this tree for years I think.


I began by putting a coffee filter over the hole, then a bit of soil, some bark and some rocks for good drainage. If the tree is going to be in this pot for years, it should have great drainage. Then I put in some soil and the tree. After that I built up the earth around it.


Then I put a little bark on the top for looks. I don't know if it will stay as the wind can be quite fierce her due to the gorge.


I placed a crystal in with the bark, a couple of special stones, one stone that looks like a sleeping Buddha, a "Living in Silence" stone.


So here it stands in all its glory on the ledge of my private porch. I will be able to look at it every day. It took three pots of water. I will keep posting pictures as the leaves and bulbs come to maturity. I suppose I could go on the internet and research its growth expectations. But you know? I would rather be surprised~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~