Sunday, April 20, 2014

Tree buds: Close-up and revealing

Finally, area temperatures have warmed enough to tell trees here to start budding.  In early April Restore Mass Ave's new photographer, Richard Royce, set out to record the miracle of trees' rebirth.

These magnolias can be seen along Embassy Row. So are emerging buds of elm and linden.

Inspect them closely to see the excitement of their growth on a tiny scale, yet multiplied thousands of times on a single tree.

The buds will become more visible as they enlarge into leaf clusters, soon forming the pleasant green haze that we visualize as the start of spring.

But the human eye is late to the trees' ancient cycles. The buds have been forming inside the twigs during the long, windy winter.

Why did our non-profit work to get all our trees watered and mulched last fall, up to the first frost? As nourishment, so their internal regeneration would proceed until the moment they chose to show their beauty to us once again.

This past winter Restore Mass Ave has been nourished by new friends and allies. Here we thank Richard in particular for his skill and love for trees.
                                                                         
 --  Deborah Shapley, President, RMA
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