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As my family and I were working on some trees that we had planted in our yard, I was thinking about how fun it is to see things grow and about how each tree will put out oxygen, etc., etc., and then I wondered, how many resources did it take to get this tree here?! And, how much water am I using to make it grow?! And is it worth it environmentally to make this happen?! Unsettling thoughts, to be sure, in the face of environmental stewardship! So for any of you who have wondered the same thing, I did some researching and learned a few comforting things. One, we bought our trees from a local nursery in a neighboring city that does its own cuttings, which means the only transportation resources that were used were in the 25 mile drive to our home (the local nurseries in our own city did not sell the trees we wanted). So, relief on that corner! Two, the amount of water that a tree uses is, according to what I could uncover with my Googling, approximately 10 gallons of water per inch of the tree’s diameter, once a week. Our trees are teeny tiny right now, so that’s not much water per tree. And as to the benefits, well, apparently a windbreak on the north side of a home (which this will someday be) can cut heating costs (and therefore, obviously, heating resources) by 10-20%, as well as the eating of CO2 and other commonly known tree benefits, so all in all, I’m still feeling good about the cute little things. And I’m getting excited about our garden, too. It’s so fun to see the tiny seeds that you put in the ground turn in to food! And this means fewer trips to the grocery store, which always makes me happy too! So, the lesson learned is, planting things is definitely worth it, environmentally, emotionally, and edibly!
Clever herb seed card from GreetingsthatGrow’s Etsy shop!
