I'm still helping dad empty his house in preparation for selling it. We moved there in 1982, six days before Christmas. I was 11. I grew up there, and now dad will sell it to strangers, just as he bought the house from strangers 24 years ago.People used to live in the house they grew up in, work the land their parents worked. They planted walnut trees, even though walnut trees take 50 years to mature, because they knew their children and grandchildren would benefit, just as they themselves benefited from the work their parents and grandparents had done years before.
I don't know where my grandparents lived. I visited their houses when they were alive, but I don't know the addresses, don't know who is living there now. I won't be planting a walnut tree here. My children won't live in this house.
It seems like that's where we went wrong. One of the places we went wrong, anyway. We lost the sense of connection to the land. We don't know who was here before us, we don't care who will come after. There's no reason to plant walnut trees any more.
3 comments:
Cracking post and I really understand what you're saying. I live in what was my mum's house and her mum's house and there are two trees in the back garden that were both planted by my granddad (who I never met) - one is a Rowan as he was a Scot and the other is a beautiful Cheery Blossom he planted for Valentine's Day. I love these trees (well, maybe not the Rowan as it’s a scraggly old thing) as they connect me both to place and people. Despite all my fantasies of moving to the country for self-sufficient life, I can't ever imagine living anywhere else and I can't imagine my family never seeing those trees. I want to plant nut trees and I want my descendants to know I planted them and to enjoy them.
One thing I've been considering lately is guerrilla gardening. My half-baked plan is to plant edible stuff around the neighbourhood in the hope people will use it and teach their kids about it – maybe that could be the legacy my kids (if I ever have any) take away :-)
HB
I love the idea of guerrilla gardening. When we took the kids to Scarborough, we climbed up the the castle and part of the path was lined with Blackthorn, covered with sloes. As we walked up I imagined generations of people before us gathering the sloes from that slope.
Mel, plant a walnut tree, or something permenant, in your garden before you move on. You've been gathering the cherries from the tree in your front garden which a previous owner planted. Add to the bounty that your current house already has to offer future generations.
I second that. Plant the tree anyway Mellie, you never know there might be a beautiful child living there one day who'll wonder who you were. Just because your gift will be anonymous doesn't make it less valuable.
A lovely post by the way - you should turn this into an article and send it into a few papers or magazines. You write well and you never know, it might pay for that walnut sapling.
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