One Year with Bean.

Bean, my Sequoia from the Oregon/California Coast line, One of the Giants has been with me for a year. Bean is the first thing I ever tried to grow from a young sapling and actually is growing, and growing healthy. When I first saw Bean I knew that he was going to be my tree. He/she had a misfortunate event in the car being toppled around which resulted in some fertilizer burning some limbs. With a few care and snipping of these limbs, Bean is 20" tall. He/she is my spirit tree. Bean is a constant reminder than no matter how bad I fall and get scarred by life's happenings, I'll still be able to grow. They say you should have a plant before you have animals or a kid. I worked the other way around, but when I had him, and the care and love it takes to grow something to be one of the greats. It's a true honor and a sense of pride I can't explain. Here's to you Bean, I love you and I hope you become a strong tree for the many years more!

Welcoming Yggdrasil

I was never blessed with my mom's amazing green thumb to grow anything. I remember as a child I wanted to grow strawberries and radishes. My strawberries were tiny and bad, and my radishes never bloomed. It broke my heart because I always wanted to grow my own vegetable garden. In my older years, my mom gave me orchids and those never lasted long either. On one of our trips to California we drove down Highway 101 and stopped at the Avenue of the Giants. There is were I found Bean, my first tree. With the travel, Bean suffered some burning and scars from being tossed around in a backpack. He made it home safe and with minor tending he's grown to 10 inches. Little did I know, I healed with Bean. I've had my ups and downs, but now I'm standing tall and doing things that I didn't think I could do for another couple of years. That's why when I went down to California for another trip, I went to Muir Woods in Marin. There I found a little baby tree. A young sapling. I instantly fell in love with it's small size and I knew that he was going to represent the new life that will unfold before my very eyes. So I know it sounds pretentious to name a tree Yggdrasil, but at this time, it seems fitting. It also doesn't seem too outlandish when you come from a background of Scandinavian blood. So I welcome Yggdrasil to keep my Bean company and together we form a little weird tree family.