“These trees which he plants, and under whose shade he shall never sit, he loves them for themselves, and for the sake of his children and his children's children, who are to sit beneath the shadow of their spreading boughs.”

Author: Hyacinthe Loyson

I love to wander among trees, to see and hear the leaves swaying in the breeze, observe birds darting about the branches, squirrels running up and down the trunk, and insects flitting about. I have spent many contented hours sitting under a tree reading a good book. Trees mark the seasons of our lives, blooming in the spring before producing green leaves, producing fruits or nuts in the summer, changing colors in the fall, standing bare and stark during the winter months. I particularly love the Valley Oak tree (Quercus lobata) with its distinctive lobed leaves, the acorns it yields, the fascinating oak galls produced by tiny wasps, and their historical importance to the original people of California as a staple food source.

Arbor Day

Along with 50 countries around the world, the USA celebrates trees on Arbor Day. The day is celebrated during the spring tree planting season. In the USA, the date is typically the last Friday of April, which this year was Friday, April 26. The date varies around the world depending on geography, weather, and if in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.

But why do we commemorate trees and how did Arbor Day get started?

Benefits of Trees

From the beginning, trees have provided us with the oxygen we breathe, along with food, shelter, medicine, and tools. To list a few of their other benefits:

• Trees help combat climate change – Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), which is contributing to global warming. They remove the CO2 from the air and store the carbon. In one year, an acre of trees can absorb the same amount of CO2 produced when the average car is driven 26,000 miles.
• Trees clean the air – Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases such as nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.
• Trees provide habitat for wildlife – Sycamores and oaks are among numerous trees that provide homes for many species of birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, and reptiles.
• Trees cool cities – Trees deflect the sunlight, cooling the air up to 10°F by shading our homes, buildings, and roads.
• Trees prevent soil erosion – Trees reduce water runoff by allowing the rainwater to flow down the trunk, onto the earth below. Their roots also slow runoff and hold the soil in place.
• Trees provide wood and paper – Trees help us build our homes and the paper we write on.
• Trees beautify urban spaces – Trees can mask unsightly concrete walls, parking lots, and unsightly views. They help muffle the sounds of the city and create eye-soothing canopies of green. They absorb dust and reduce glare.
• Trees provide personal and spiritual values – During our busy lives, trees can give us a piece of nature and moments of tranquility.

Arbor Day History

“Arbor” literally translates to “tree” from the Latin word arbor. The origins date back to the early 1870s to Nebraska City. Julius Sterling Morton and his wife, Caroline, planted a wide variety of trees on 160 acres of what was then a flat stretch of prairie. Through his job as editor of the state's first newspaper he spread his knowledge of trees, extolled their importance to the state of Nebraska by reforesting the empty plains. Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a day be designated to encourage people to plant trees. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872. The day was a huge success with approximately 1 million trees being planted.

The tradition quickly spread and within 20 years the day was celebrated in every state but Delaware. On April 15, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt, a conservation supporter, issued an “Arbor Day Proclamation to the School Children of the United States.” In 1970, Arbor Day became nationally recognized due to efforts by President Richard Nixon.

People can celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree (which can be dedicated to a loved one) and spending time caring for the trees we have. Morton's words resonate strongly today as climate change becomes a serious threat: “Other holidays repose on the past: Arbor Day proposes for the future.”

How Can We Help?

Some of the ways we can help preserve trees are:

• To reduce the demand for paper, check out books from your local Stanislaus County Library instead of purchasing new ones.
• Help protect existing forests – Encourage reduced cutting down of healthy forests by supporting sustainable reforestation.
• Afforestation – Support the planting of new forest plantations, which can enhance existing forest cover and help reduce global warming with carbon sequestration.
• Continue to water your tree, even during a drought. If you shut off lawn water, don't forget to deep water your tree! You can use a hose or soaker hose to water under the drip line.
• And, of course, plant a tree! You can volunteer for local organizations when they have tree planting days or plant a tree in your garden.

An excellent resource on care and selection of trees is Stanislaus County's Master Gardener “Trees in Your Home Garden,” https://ucanr.edu/sites/CEStanislausCo/files/341553.pdf

Additional resources include on how to plant a tree: https://ucanr.edu/sites/UrbanHort/files/80160.pdf, and on pruning trees: https://ucanr.edu/sites/UrbanHort/files/80116.pdf

Favorite Tree?

Do you have a favorite tree? Write in our comment section what your favorite tree is and why?!

Denise Godbout-Avant has been a UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Stanislaus County since 2020.

This article was originally published on April 25, 2022.

Our last newsletter may have prompted you to have more questions about citrus. The good news is, the topic for January Classes at Stanislaus County Libraries is (you guessed it) Growing Citrus Trees! We hope to see you at one of these free classes.

You can also see a list of our classes on our calendar by visiting our website at https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/Calendar/

p.s. February's topic is Spring Vegetable Gardening, stay tuned for more information!

A recent study* found that seeing or hearing birds can improve your mood and mental wellbeing for up to eight hours! Instead of heading out to bird watch, why not attract them to your own backyard or apartment patio?

This presentation was put together by Denise Godbout-Avant, one of our UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners. She did a lot of research to learn about local birds in Stanislaus County. You will be amazed when you see the colorful birds that live and migrate through our area!

Learn more at The Backyard is for the Birds classes at a local Stanislaus County Library near you during October of 2023. You don't need to sign up to attend the classes.

Visit our Calendar at https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/Calendar/ for dates, times, and locations.

*Time Magazine. Birdwatching Has Big Mental Health Benefits. https://time.com/6231886/birdwatching-mental-health/

 

I have always loved lavender's fragrance, its colorful prolific blooms, its delightful oils, and soaps. I recently had the pleasure of taking a Stanislaus County UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener workshop on lavender. It was led by fellow Master Gardener Heidi Aufdermaur, and I learned so much more about lavender.

History

A member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, lavender (Lavandula spp.) is an ancient herb. It is believed to have likely originated from Greece and is indigenous to the Mediterranean area, including Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Cape Verde. Long coveted for its fragrance, calming presence, and healing properties, lavender use has been documented for over 2500 years in many cultures around the world. The word “lavender” is derived from the Latin verb ‘lavare' which means “to wash.” In Medieval and Renaissance France, women who took in washing were known as ‘lavenders.'

• The Egyptians used lavender for cosmetics, medicines, and embalming mummies.
• Lavender was used in perfumes by the ancient Aztecs, in addition to mummification.
• In the 17^th century, Arabs domesticated the plant and brought it to Spain. The Spanish brought the plant to North America.
• The ancient Greeks used lavender to fight off insomnia and back aches.
• Romans used lavender oil for cooking, bathing, scenting the air, and in soaps.
• In the 17^th century lavender was used as a remedy for the Great  Plague in London.
• Queen Elizabeth I of England required lavender to be served at the royal table and fresh lavender flowers throughout her residence. She also used lavender tea for treatment of severe migraine headaches.
• Queen Victoria took an interest in lavender in the 19^th century and the English variety became popular.
  

  Making a wand involves weaving ribbon around each stem, Rachel Bahn.
• History states that the Shakers were the first to grow lavender commercially in the Americas.
• Today lavender is cultivated commercially in France, England, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Canada.

Growing and Caring for Lavender

Lavender is an evergreen, herbaceous, semi-woody perennial with silvery-green square-shaped foliage whose spike-shaped flowers come in many hues of purple, pink, and white. While lavender grows well in California Central Valley's Mediterranean climate, and will tolerate some neglect, they do have some basic requirements:

• Full sun.
• Thrives in poor soils with little to no fertilizer providing there is good drainage.
• Since lavender is difficult to grow from seed, it is best to plant a young plant in the spring, after the threat of frost has passed when the soil has warmed up to at least 60°F.
  

  Hidcote (English) lavender, Denise Godbout-Avant.
• If planting in summer, make sure you water regularly to keep the soil moist.
• If planting in fall, choose a larger, more established plant to ensure their survival over the winter.
• They do not like “wet feet.” If use organic mulch, keep it away from the crown to prevent excess moisture. A better choice is inorganic mulch such as pea gravel, decomposed granite, or sand.

 Caring for lavender:

• Water regularly until the plants are established, after which they need little water. Yellowing leaves is often a sign of over-watering. 
• Prune during the fall months.
• To keep plants neat and compact, shear back by one-third to one-half every year immediately after bloom.
• The flowering stems can be harvested while in bloom or snipped off after the flowers fade. Consider letting some of the blooms go to seed for small seed-eating birds such as finches and sparrows.
  

  Spanish lavender, creative commons license.

Varieties of Lavender

The three most common varieties of lavender are English, French, and Spanish:

• English lavender (Lavandula angustifola) is also known as True or Common lavender. Fragrant-rich, coming in both dark and light purple colors, it is a favorite culinary lavender, adding a sweet floral flavor to beverages, desserts, savory dishes, and meat.

o   Cultivars include: ‘Hidcote', ‘Lady', ‘Campacta', ‘Ellegance', ‘Goodwin Creek', ‘Jean Davis', and ‘Pastor's Pride'.

• French lavender (Lavandula dentata) is related to English lavender, but French lavender is larger, has a lighter scent and is less frost tolerant. It has a long bloom time, from spring through summer. It is used as cut flowers and potpourri.

o   Cultivars include ‘Allwood', ‘Lambikins', ‘Linda Logon', ‘Ploughman's Blue' and ‘Pure Harmony'. 

• Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), otherwise known as Butterfly lavender, are frost tolerant, low bushes with long stems, and distinct dark purple heads that have “rabbit ears.” Due to their smaller size, they grow well in pots. Highly aromatic, they are a magnet for bees and butterflies. Used in aromatherapy, soaps, cooking, in tinctures and oils, as well as cocktails!
  

  Lavender wands, Rachel Bahn.

o   Cultivars include ‘Anouk', ‘Ballerina', ‘Munstead', ‘Otto Quast', ‘Papillon', ‘Regal Splendor', and ‘With Love'.

Lavender Uses

The most popular use of lavender today is in cosmetics and fragrances, including making bouquets, wreaths or wands, small sachets, eye pillows, potpourri, soaps, perfumes, facial and body oils.  Culinary uses include herbal teas, cookies, lavender ice cream, as a flavorful addition to wine, and even as a spice rub for beef and lamb.

If you enjoy doing crafts, make a lavender wand, which makes a great gift.

Here are a couple how-to-do links:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UboN-V4Mv-c
• https://blog.pelindabalavender.com/2021/06/how-to-make-woven-aromatic-lavender-wand-instructions.html

For creative cooks, there are many lavender recipes from sweet to savory. An excellent book is The Lavender Cookbook by Sharon Shipley.

More Love for Lavender

Visit the local Pageo Lavender Farm in Turlock (http://pageolavenderfarm.com/) to see its fields of lavender and visit its shop with many lavender products.

Learning more about lavender has increased my appreciation for this beautiful, versatile plant. I made a lavender wand which lightly perfumes my closet, have a lavender eye-pillow for when I do the savasana pose in yoga (very relaxing!). I look forward to baking lavender shortbread, exploring other uses of lavender, and increasing the diversity of lavender plants in my garden!

If you do not already have lavender in your garden, consider planting some. Along with their lovely flowers and aroma, ease of care, they also attract bees, butterflies, and birds. You will love them!

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to fellow UCCE Master Garden Heidi Aufdermaur for sharing her love and knowledge of lavender!

Resources

• Lavenders for California Gardens: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8135.pdf
• Sunset Western Garden Book
• The Timeless Allure of Lavender by local author Cynthia Tanis (Kindle Edition on Amazon)
• How to plant, grow and care for lavender: www.almanac.com
• Lavandula: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavandula

Denise Godbout-Avant has been a UCCE Master Gardener with Stanislaus County since 2020