The Beginning.
In 1986, my father collected acorns and beech mast near Glasgow in between chemotherapy sessions at one of the city hospitals. As a man at one with nature, and like a fish out of water away from it, he must have felt comforted when he planted the seeds back home on the farm in Argyll. Ahead of his time, he planted hundreds of trees for the future during his lifetime as a caretaker of the land. These seedlings were special and they would live on long after he was gone. I inherited a few pots of small oak and beech trees but I couldn’t plant them till I had a garden in 1992. They were bursting out of their pots by then.
Exciting Moment of Discovery.
Every year since releasing this tree from pot-prison I search for acorns. Imagine my excitement this week to find them.
Biodiversity Bonanza.
Not only is this tree a special gift bringing more bird life to my garden, it supports abundant invertebrate life. The larvae of several hundred moth species feed on oak leaves. The Purple Hairstreak butterfly (Favonius quercus) is the only British butterfly to rely solely on oak to complete its life cycle. It does live in parts of Scotland but I haven’t seen it this far north, yet. Gall-forming insects from the hymenoptera order are also associated with oak. Dead oaks support wood-boring beetle larvae and fungi but, hopefully, this tree will be standing for a lot longer.
Blue Tits.
Blue tits are particularly partial to the lavae found on oak leaves and I get a ringside view of their acrobatic behaviour as they collect food for their offspring. During a spring walk this year, I find a blue tit nest in a mossy tree stump below a spreading oak tree. I curiously watch the parents tirelessly carry beak-full after beak-full of wriggling larvae down to the stump. They look around warily before disappearing hastily down a small hole. The relentless calling of the chicks abates only momentarily when the food appears. The sun is shining through the trees, the bluebells are in full bloom and a wee burn runs past gurgling over rocks. And all this beauty is but a short bike ride from home.
Great post Aunty Ann! Very meaningful and special.
Thank you, Iain. I’m glad that you found it meaningful.
What was strange, was that my cousin Dale sent me a photo earlier in the week, that was of an Orchid flowering – and it had belonged to my paternal Grandfather, that had been handed down to her over 20 years ago, it was then a weird coincidence to read your post, and see a similar story from the other side of my family!
Well you know what they say about little acorns growing into big trees! But how happy dad would have been to hear this story. He cared very deeply for the land and its inhabitants. And I would like to believe that it has rubbed off onto us, his children, some of whom still plant conkers and acorns and watch them sprouting into little trees in all sorts of places, like our wild-life garden in my school in the middle of Tollcross Edinburgh. Though I can not confirm that it is still there. I have been retired for 15 years now and it is no longer a nursery school!
Good to hear from another tree planter. Do you remember the push to plant trees in the ’70s and the slogan, “Plant a tree in ’73, plant some more in ’74” and, “Hope they survive till 75”!
What an amazing story Ann and how delighted your Dad would be as will all the insect and bird life. How special it must have been watching the blue tits with their nest in an oak tree, instead of the usual bird box which I have. Great photos Linton.