People talk about planting trees, but there are still a lot of parks in the world with play equipment that gets burning hot in the summer for lack of shade. Why, I often wondered as a parent of young kids, aren't shade trees planted strategically, where their shade will do the most good? It takes some imagination, to envision the full-sized tree a sapling will ultimately become, and some belief in the future, whether one's going to be around to see it or not.
In 2010, Rebecca Kanarek contacted me with the desire to plant a tree in celebration of her and her husband's newborn son. Council woman Barbara Trelstad and I collaborated to choose a tree--an October Glory Red Maple--and arrange its planting. I suggested Potts Park, because it's playground equipment was roasting in the sun. My role was to decide where in the park to plant it.
It can be surprisingly tricky to choose a good place to plant a tree. You have to imagine the sun's arc in summer and how the future tree will intercept it. At the same time, shade is not an unmitigated blessing. It's wanted some places and not others. In this case, I wanted to position the tree to ultimately shade both the climbing equipment and the swings, while keeping the tree's trunk out of the way of games and running kids. Planting it too close to other trees could slow its growth. And then there's the followup watering while it's getting established.
The spot chosen was a compromise, but sixteen years later, the tree is doing its job, cooling the play equipment in summer, then dropping its leaves to allow the sun to provide warmth in the winter. It's pretty straightforward. Trees grow, and the future comes.
