Trees provide us with fresh fruit in the summertime, they fill their canopies with vibrant or subtle colors, and they provide cool shade. But probably their most valuable contribution to our local environments is the fact that trees provide shelter for myriad critters that are beneficial to the garden. Fruit trees are some of our favorite things to grow in the residential garden. They give us fresh fruit and all they require from us is a few hours a year of care. Now that spring has fully sprung and the memory of that apple tree in full bloom is still fresh in our minds, we can remember that it's not just about the fruit.
Fruit trees are harbingers of warmer weather.
When an apricot or a plum is in full bloom, we are reminded of warm evenings on the porch or barbecues in the back yard. But I think they give us something more. Fruit trees remind us of the agrarian heritage of producing our own foods that made this country so prosperous. We have learned so much over the scores of years since our pioneer ancestors first tilled the land. But we have also forgotten the value of how they lived in partnership with the land and a stewardship of their properties.