Margaret Cheasebro

Over the years, film maker and artist Joshua Bonnetta has made sonic records of places that had meaning for him. They were private mementos for him.

As he learned more about long-form field recording, he decided to document a pine tree in Tioga County, New York, for 8,760 hours, a total of 365 days from May 2021 to April 2022. The recording captured, among other things, the sounds of crickets and frogs, the tree's creaking branches, and even a raccoon.

With the help of Holger Klinck, an expert in conservation bioacoustics at Cornell University, he was able to use spectral analysis software to identify sounds graphically. Another friend, Josh Berger, introduced him to a program that helped him to clean up the sound as well as dismantle the sounds and put them back together.

It took Bonnetta three years between other jobs to create what he calls The Pines, a spectral collage of four hours of sounds that document a year in the life of the tree and its natural surroundings. An essay by Robert Macfarlane accompanies it. The Pines is out now on Shelter Press and The Dim Coast.

The Pines contains Bonnetta's amazing accomplishment of documenting the tree and its surroundings in the best way he could. No other year in the life of that tree will ever be the same. Bonnetta has, in essence, captured and immortalized sounds that are unique to that year.

To learn more about Bonnetta and his projects, read Claire Biddle's article, "Trunk call: Artist who spent a year listening to a tree," in the May 9, 2025 issue of The Guardian Weekly.

Bonnetta's next project is to document the inner geological sounds of the Alps. Currently, he lives in Munich, and the sounds of his new city fascinate him. Perhaps one of these days he will capture and immortalize them as well.

The ancient Romans invented a way to grow fruit trees flat against a supportive structure.

During the Renaissance in Europe it evolved into an art form. It allowed the production of large quantities of fruit in smaller spaces. Eventually, the technique became an art form. Trees grown with the espalier method became living sculptures. Many ornamental trees and plants were also grown using the espalier method to create works of art.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States of America, used the technique at his Monticello estate to grow fruit trees. He was an innovator in agriculture. His use of the method helped introduce espalier to the United States.

Now it is being used at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. When I attended the Four Corners Harmony barbershop show May 17 on the San Juan College campus at the Connie Gotsch Theatre, I noticed a distinctive looking small apple tree growing against a wall by the parking lot. It looked like it had wooden trellises supporting the branches that made them grow in a straight line. I thought the tree might have been injured and needed extra support, but that wasn't the case.

San Juan College Grounds Supervisor Aiessa W. Thomas told me more about the method. "We are using an Espalier system to grow trees along the wall," she said. "This is a decorative and functional system that allows us to save space, ease of harvest and easier maintenance. We would normally grow these along trellis wires, but we have yet to get our little project finished so we are just using small wood trellises for now."

Some of the benefits of the espalier method are space efficiency, increased sunlight and airflow, ease of harvesting and maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and enhanced productivity.

Among the most popular tree choices for using the method are apple, pear, fig, and citrus. Climbing vines or roses also respond well to the method.

If you use the technique, it's important to install a support system such as wires or trellises and to make the structure strong enough to hold the weight of the tree or ornamental plant once it is fully grown. Add soft ties to the branches as it grows so they will create the pattern you want. Check them often to be sure they are growing in the right direction. Regularly prune them to maintain the shape and structure you want.

To learn more about this method, one helpful book is Espalier Fruit Trees for Wall, Hedge, and Pergola: Installation, Shaping, Care by Karl Pieber.

For more information on how to use the espalier method, go to https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/2009/09/29/espalier-supporttrellis/

I just finished planting my little garden in a plot in one corner of my back yard. It's small enough that weeding isn't too big a chore, and it's large enough to yield plenty of vegetables for me as well as a few for neighbors and friends. Even though weeding isn't too big a chore, it's a gardening task I haven't always enjoyed.

But planting my garden gives me lots of pleasure. There's something about being outside in the sunshine, digging in the soil, planting seeds or small sprouts that makes me feel good, healthier. An article, How Nature Heals by Charlotte Hilton Andersen in the May/June 2025 issue of Reader's Digest, explained that being in nature can be so healthy that some doctors prescribe it for their patients.

Taking a walk, hiking in a forest, mountain or by a lake, or visiting places such as botanical gardens all immerse us in the out-of-doors. Doing anything outside, including riding a bike or having a picnic, all expose us to the benefits of nature.

If you don't feel like gardening or hiking, try sitting under a tree for a few minutes. It will help reduce your stress and improve your mood. That can be especially helpful if you're someone who needs time alone. When you sit under a tree, take time to enjoy its beauty and absorb the calmness that often surrounds trees. You will leave feeling like you're ready to handle the rest of your day with greater energy. It even helps your immune system do a better job of keeping you healthy.

Some doctors like to prescribe walking outside or even taking off your shoes and socks and feeling the grass with your feet because those activities have many health benefits. Among them are lowering your blood pressure, reducing inflammation and chronic pain, helping with weight loss, and even lowering levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

I wasn't aware of all the benefits of spending a few minutes outside in nature until I read that Reader's Digest article. I just knew that every time I came inside after gardening my mood improved. I had more energy. I was in a better frame of mind.

I didn't used to relish the never ending task of weeding my garden. Now when I grab my hoe, I do it knowing that every minute I spend in my garden is helping my health to improve. That puts a whole new perspective on keeping weeds under control!

The art of shaping and caring for miniature trees in pots is known as bonsai. The material for bonsai trees can be collected in the wild, from landscape and nursery plants, or even cut from part of a full size tree.

If you have ever seen a beautifully crafted bonsai tree, its magnificence can take your breath away. They are often grown in fired earthenware pots that give good support to the tree but don't call attention to themselves. The main focus is the bonsai tree itself. More than one tree can be included in a bonsai creation. Every successful bonsai creation requires frequent and meticulous care by the artist. In Japanese, the word bonsai means a tree planted in a shallow container.

Bonsai is a historic Japanese art form derived from an ancient Chinese horticultural practice called penjing, which began during the Han dynasty perhaps 2,000 years ago. Japanese redeveloped it with influence from Japanese Zen Buddhism.

Successfully caring for bonsai trees requires an understanding of horticulture and art. Taking care of bonsai trees includes paying attention to the plant's water and nutritional needs, caring for it in case of injury or pests, and protecting it from harsh weather.

The best bonsai compositions seem natural and don't call attention to what the artist has done with the plant, according to Robert J. Baron, a Bonsai researcher and historian. You can read an article he wrote about bonsai trees at https://www.bonsaiempire.com/what-is-bonsai.

Bonsai artists spend much time shaping the miniature trees by doing such things as pinching buds, pruning and wiring branches. They may use less fertilizer so the plants will grow as they want it to. The ultimate goal is to make the bonsai creation look like a realistic part of nature. The art of bonsai continues to develop and improve.

Some bonsai artists grow an entire miniature forest in a pot. Long-time Japanese American bonsai artist John Naka and his tiny forest creation were featured in the February 2025 issue of National Geographic in an article written by Becky Little. By the time Naka finished nurturing it, part of it stood nearly five feet tall.

As a young man, Naka began his tiny forest creation by cutting off the top of a mature juniper tree (with permission) and planting it in a pot. He cared for and crafted the plant for many decades. Over time, he added 10 more trees, one for each of his grandchildren. He called his miniature forest Goshin, a Japanese word that is pronounced go-SHEEN. It means "protector of the spirit." In 1984, Naka gave Goshin to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, part of the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. There, it is known as one of the world's best bonsai arrangements.

After that, Naka taught curators how to continue caring for his creation. Naka was 89 when he died in 2004.

Just about anyone with enough patience and the willingness to learn can work at creating an artistic, healthy bonsai tree.

A friend I went to junior high and high school with many years ago has led an interesting life. Her name is Lena Yacoumopoulou.

One of her experiences involved being part of a United Nations Peace Keeping mission in Haiti in 1990 and early 1991. The mission was called ONUVEH (UN Observer Group for Verification of Elections in Haiti). They worked with the Organization of American States as well as local police and military to register and conduct free and fair elections.

Once Jean-Bertrand Aristede was elected in December 1990 and inaugurated in February 1991, her peace keeping mission ended. But during the time she spent in Haiti, she did some sight-seeing. Among the places she visited was Le Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince, the island nation's capital.

At the center, she took pictures of some remarkable works of art. Among them was a painting of a tree sculpted to look like a flying horse. The background included a manicured garden with trees and bushes. A white chair stood in front of the flying horse tree. Lena did not know the name of the artist. Two emails to the art center on January 28 and Feb. 10, 2025, went unanswered.

The art center was established in 1944 by the American watercolorist DeWitt Peters and a group of Haitian intellectuals and artists. Peters was its first director. The art center was recognized as a public utility in 1947. It promoted artistic creation in Haiti, according to the center's website at https://www.lecentredart.org.

I was hoping to learn if the painting survived a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. The earthquake badly damaged the art center. It reopened in 2014 on its 70th anniversary. In 2019, the center was able to purchase a large gingerbread mansion in the area of Pacot, Port-au-Prince with the help of many donors. In its new location, it continues to be an art center, art school and art gallery.

On the center's website, I could find no picture of the painting Lena photographed in 2010. I hope it survived. The artist's depiction of a tree almost magically sculpted to look like a flying horse is quite beautiful.

There is a small tree, a cockspur hawthorn, in a yard not far from my house. I drive by it every time I go shopping. It lost its leaves late last fall. Its thin bare branches are taking time to rest until they flourish again in the spring.

Though the tree has no leaves, it does have several clusters of small reddish brown berries that still cling to the branches. They look determined to hang on. It may be easier for them to keep their grip because this winter has been drier and warmer than normal. Even the wind has not dislodged the berries.

Trees have their own trials, just like we do. And just like trees, we sometimes struggle through tough times. I'm amazed that when I look back at those difficult times, the memories don't seem quite so bad. It's as though time took a paintbrush and used gentle brush strokes to soften those memories.

I remember the image of the paintbrush when I experience moments that are painful, exasperating, or sorrowful. If I can make it through those tough times, things usually get better.

I often use my Picture This app to learn the identity of trees, bushes and flowers. It's a great app to have if you want to learn more about nature around you. When I took a picture of the cockspur hawthorn tree, the app gave me its name and told me it looked like it wasn't in the best of health.

Last summer if I'd taken a picture of the tree, those berries would have looked radiantly healthy. It's those radiantly healthy times that we tend to take for granted. It's only when we get sick or have aches and pains or experience a deep loss or disappointment that we wonder if we have the strength and tenacity to hang on. Once we get better, once the aches and pains lessen and the sorrows fade, we start to feel stronger and more hopeful again.

When I drive by the cockspur hawthorn tree, I remember that before too long it will be sprouting new leaves and growing new berries in springtime. On days when I feel less than my best, I remember that if I give myself time to rest, soon I will feel better too.

Winter, trees, and sunlight sometimes combine to create memorable scenes. When I was looking through the picture file in my iPhone, I came across one I had taken years ago of a cottonwood tree north of Aztec, New Mexico, across the highway from where I used to live.

The sun created a circle of light behind a cluster of higher branches that stood bare in the winter weather. Something about the sunlight pouring onto the branches made me feel a little less cold and a little more hopeful that spring, leaves, and warmer weather aren't that far away.

The cottonwood has been known by several names over the years. First, it was just the cottonwood by the irrigation ditch. Then, over the years as the tree became more than just another tree, it became the Healing Tree. Standing near its trunk sometimes helped people feel healthier, nurtured and loved. Eventually, the tree let me know it preferred the name Grandfather Tree. Though it's only a guess, the cottonwood could have been about 200 years old.

It has since fallen over and no longer stands beside the irrigation ditch. But when I visit the place where Grandfather Tree once stood, I can still sense the essence of itself. I remember many experiences with that tree – feeling more energetic as I stood near it, watching a mother goose sit in a nest on eggs in a fork of the tree, standing for several minutes by it with a friend whose breathing challenges lessened.

Then there was the day I walked near the tree and saw sunlight form a circle behind upper branches of the tree. The ball of light held such promise for me. It will not always be so cold. The trees will sprout leaves again. Hold on to hope. More comfortable days are coming.

If you get a chance, find some trees to walk among. When times in your life feel most challenging, you may sense hope as the trees surround you with their welcoming presence.

Every year, my wonderful neighbors fill their yard with blow-up Christmas decorations of sleighs, reindeer, gingerbread men, Santa's helpers, snowmen, North Pole memorabilia, candy canes, Christmas trees, and so much more. On the roof over their front door sits a red Christmas helicopter with its propeller turning.

They decorate their yard to entertain their grandchildren and to bring holiday cheer to children of all ages. Every year I benefit from their magnanimous gift to everyone fortunate enough to see what they create. It takes them hours and hours to put up. The electric lights and motorized parts on some of their displays add many dollars to their electricity bill. But that never stops them.

Once they take down and store away their Christmas displays, they put up more for Valentine's Day, Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, and probably a few other occasions I don't remember at the moment. I feel fortunate to live next to them.

One of their Christmas displays includes a blue dinosaur with a red Christmas hat. It picks up and sets down a Christmas tree many times throughout the day. When I take walks through the neighborhood, I always slow down as I walk by their yard so I can enjoy their colorful decorations.

We each celebrate Christmas in our own ways. I am happy to live next door to people who choose to celebrate by turning their yard into a delightful realm of Christmas magic.

For centuries, Italian agriculture produced an abundance of fruit. Today, Italy is still a major producer of pears, but only four varieties of them are still found.  A century ago, there were hundreds of varieties. Six centuries ago, many different kinds of fruit trees grew in the country, among them apples, plums, grapes, pears and cherries.

Isabella Dalla Ragione, who lives in rural Perugia, Italy, has made it her task to help restore the agricultural biodiversity of the abundant fruit trees for which Italy was once renounced. Though industrial agriculture has succeeded in creating a few productive varieties, they have a simple genetic pattern no longer capable of dealing with challenges such as drought and climate change.

Her father, Livio Dalla Ragione, taught art at a local university and was a pioneer of a rural farm and food movement in Italy that focused on planting local fruit tree varieties that had been abandoned. Together in 1989, she and her father founded Archeologia Arborea, which focused on researching the lost fruit tree species. Livio died in 2007, but Dalla continues their work.

In 2006, her research led her to a palazzo about 10 miles from her home that had housed the Bufalini family. They were major Umbrian landowners in the 16th century. There, she found boxes of old paper records that inventoried the Bufalini crops.

When she took a closer look at the ceiling of the palazzo that featured the 16th century fresco by Cristofano Gherardi, she found something even more revealing. The fresco showed Prometheus delivering fire to humans. Many ancient fruits she had been studying in the Bufalini archives were part of that painting.

In the November 2024 Smithsonian Magazine article The Fruit Detective by Mark Schapiro, Dalla is quoted as saying, "I put together that the art was at the same period of time as the documents. For me, it was an incredible connection." The fruit trees she and her father had spent much time growing were descendants of fruits from that centuries old time.

To help advance her work, Dalla earned a PhD in biodiversity from the University of Perugia in 2017. Her doctoral thesis involved analyzing the genomes of hundreds of pear varieties. In that process, she discovered that older pears from the 15th century and earlier had more genetic diversity than today's varieties have. Greater diversity helped the fruit adapt to shifting conditions through the centuries.

In his article, Schapiro wrote, "They might not produce as much per tree as modern varieties, but their traits helped them survive new pests and changing weather conditions, meaning they produced fruit more steadily over decades and even centuries."

Dalla continues to spot ancient fruit in centuries old paintings, and she is determined to continue her work of bringing back an abundance of the fruit that once thrived in Italy centuries ago.

Though the soil is starting to cool down as temperatures drops below freezing during parts of the day, soil may still be warm enough to plant a tree. When soil is still somewhat warm, trees feel less stress after you plant them. They have an easier time adjusting to their new environment.

During this time of year, trees in many parts of the country are in the process of going dormant. A newly planted tree this time of year will not have to share as much of its energy with budding blossoms and spurts of root growth as it would if it were planted in the spring.

If you're thinking about planting a tree this time of year, visit one or more nurseries near where you live. Ask the people who work there what kinds of trees grow best at this time of year in your locality. People who work in nurseries are very knowledgeable about plants, and they will be glad to share with you what they know about planting trees.

They can even tell you how big a hole you should dig for the tree, what kinds of soil enhancers to put in the hole, and a lot of other information that will help your tree survive well during the winter.

When you decide where you're going to plant the new tree in your yard, take time to thank the soil and your yard for welcoming the new tree. It may sound silly to express your gratitude in that way, but the essence of your gratitude will create a warm, loving energy. When people express their thanks to us, it usually lifts our spirits. The same is true for all living things, even soil and trees.

When you bring home the tree and place it in the hole you've dug for it, tell the tree how happy you are that it has become part of your yard. Express your gratitude to it. The tree will capture the essence of your emotions. It will help the tree to feel good about being in your yard.

Next spring when trees and other plants come out of dormancy, spend time near the young tree. Continue to express your thanks for it, and let it know how grateful you are to see it growing. If you do that, don't be surprised to see how well it thrives.

May all of you who plant a tree in your yard now discover how powerful gratitude can be when you express it to others, including trees.