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Trees provide structure and “bones” for landscape design. Even a single well chosen specimen can provide a wonderful focal point or anchor a garden bed. Whether you have space for one tree or for dozens, you’ll enjoy them more if you put some thought into choosing them. Planting trees to commemorate an occasion or to remember a special person can give personal meaning to your landscape.
My husband and I were married on Earth Day, and this year we're celebrating our 10th anniversary on Arbor Day. We've planted a lot of trees in our yard, and many of them were chosen to mark an occasion. Each spring as we watch them leaf out, there's an extra joy in remembering when and why we planted those particular trees. The cluster of little Dogwoodtrees and Encore Azaleas in our front yard (photo at right) was planted in memory of our years at Duke University, where we met.
One of our favorite wedding gifts was the "tree for your yard" certificate that my brother-in-law and his wife gave us. We've always loved the fall color of Red Maples and thought it would be fun to one day be able to tap maples for syrup, as my father does in his yard. We found a beautifully shaped specimen that became the focal point for a planting bed behind the house. A Mimosa tree (a gift that reminds DH of his grandmother) anchors the other end of the island bed. The center of the bed holds a trio of smaller maples from my father's yard, and the bed itself is planted in daylilies and daffodils.
The traditional theme for a 5th anniversary gift is "wood." We interpreted this a little less traditionally... our 5th anniversary gift to each other was a little home orchard for our new back yard. We chose dwarf varieties in order to have as many kinds of fruit as possible, and with careful spacing we squeezed in a dozen trees along one side of our lot. We had fun considering and debating about which trees to include, splitting them between mutual favorites (apples, pears, plums) and special favorites (cherries for him, nectarine and apricot trees for me). In spacing the trees for the orchard, I saved enough space in the back corner for a pair of pecan trees that I gave my husband as a birthday gift. It'll be a while yet before he gets any pecan pie from those trees; they're still small enough that a new branch is a cause for celebration.
A wonderful way to remember special people is to plant a tree that shares their name. Neighbors of ours wanted to plant a tree to commemorate the birth of their baby girl. They were thrilled to find a tree with the same name they'd given her. Every year, she has her "first day of school" photo taken in front of the tree, and every year she and the tree are both a little bigger. I couldn't resist getting a beautiful little Magnolia last year, partly because it had the same name as one of my best friends.
Pass-alongs also have a special place in our gardens and in our hearts. I cherish my "Great-Aunt Erna's Lilac," planted close to the deck where we can enjoy its fragrance. A low spot in one corner of our yard holds a beautiful crooked willow tree, my mother's favorite, which she propagated for us from a branch of her tree. An offshoot from my mother-in-law's Nandinagraces another garden bed.
With commemorative trees, I think it's important to fix on the idea of the tree rather than on a specific specimen. Otherwise, you'll take it as a bad omen when the tree you planted for Uncle Jeff's 50th birthday dies the next year.
My husband proposed to me under a Weeping Willow tree, so when I laid out a landscaping plan seven years ago for our new yard, I marked off an entire back corner for a willow. We had a soggy spot that seemed perfect! The first willow sapling had a too-short taproot and didn't make it. Undeterred, we planted another. This one responded to the abundant moisture by flopping into a U shape, like a girl bending over to dry her long hair in the breeze. After several years of pruning it severely and tangling it in long ropes in vain attempts to get it to straighten up, we finally had to admit it was a lost cause. We'd planted the wrong tree in the wrong spot. That's hard to admit when you have an emotional connection to a tree!
Since we don't have quite enough space to plant another willow closer to the house in a less wet location, we decided we needed to replace it with another tree entirely. This tree will also be special, since we'll plant it on our anniversary. We thought we'd have to search for weeks, but at our first nursery stop we found a beautiful little Weeping Higan Cherry. We'll be planting it this evening, and it will be the perfect focal point near the corner of the L-shaped garden bed that edges our lawn. With it in place, I think we will be able to "let go" of the weeping willow that just didn't work out. In its place, I'm planning to put a small water feature. A weeping cherry next to a little pond will still remind us of the setting where Jim said "Will you?" and Jill said "Yes!" Having it also mark our 10th anniversary will make it doubly special.
Arbor Day itself is an occasion to plant trees. Commemorative planting of special trees on other occasions adds personal meaning as well as beauty to your landscape. A New Arrival, an Anniversary, a Homecoming, a Birthday, a Graduation, a Family Reunion—any day can be an Arbor Day!
Happy Arbor Day!
National Arbor Day in the US is the last Friday in April. Some states celebrate a different Arbor Day, according to the best tree planting time for their region. Other countries have their own Tree Celebrations. See the Arbor Day Foundation website for more information.
Photos by Jill Nicolaus.
About Jill M. Nicolaus
Better known as "Critter" on DG, Jill gardens in Frederick, MD. This week, I've been cutting lavender, putting up pluots (plum-apricot fruits), and pulling weeds (always, LOL). I love being outside in the cooler morning -- coffee cup in one hand, watering hose in the other -- watching the birds and butterflies among the flowers.(Images in my articles are from my photos, unless otherwise credited.)
Posted by cathy4 (from St. Louis County, MO) on April 25, 2008 at 10:15 AM:
Contact your conservation department to see if they sell trees. In Missouri, they have bundles of a mix of native trees, or bundles of all one kind, and for a very low price.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 25, 2008 at 10:19 AM:
What a great idea! Those little sapling "whips" may start out pretty small... but it's fun to watch them grow into stately shade trees!
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Subject: My best birthday present
Posted by CapeCodGardener (from Mid-Cape, MA) on April 25, 2008 at 9:10 AM:
A few years ago for an "important" birthday, I asked for a fernleaf Full Moon Japanese maple. Best birthday gift I ever had. The tree greets me with beauty every day. (No, I don't live Down Under; the date function of my digital camera was way off!)
Great article!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 25, 2008 at 10:18 AM:
That's a spectacular tree! The texture of those leaves is just amazing... I've got a butterfly J. maple that I just love, although I confess we didn't choose it to "commemorate" anything (unusual, in our yard) but simply to be the centerpiece of a small side garden. It makes a much better focal point than the air conditioner!
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on April 25, 2008 at 10:48 AM:
LOL, Jill, and what a beautiful maple! My husband thinks gifts have to be 'surprises', so they always are, and I smile graciously and kvetch on here! He would never buy me a tree, but then again, we would have to have something ripped out in order to plant it. x, Carrie
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 25, 2008 at 11:07 AM:
Surprises are good, but they can be hard to place appropriately in a garden plan... I think my DH would be more likely to "surprise" me with a nursery expedition or a gift certificate to Bluestone or Brushwood than with a specific plant, but you never know... :-)
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Posted by gessiegail (from Taft, TX) on April 26, 2008 at 12:36 AM:
Thanks , Jill for some new ideas. Although I can't plant the ones you mentioned, I am becoming very aware of how many trees need to be planted here. There are a lot of what most people consider shrubs that turn into beautiful trees here . One example is Duranta or Esperanza (can't remember the botanical name). Your article has inspired me to get to work next February.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 26, 2008 at 8:38 AM:
Cool! One shrub/tree I knew nothing about until I was making plans to do some planting while visiting a friend in TX last spring is Vitex, aka "Texas lilac." It bloomed on and off for her all summer, attracting butterflies and even a hummer or two right up to her window -- she was delighted with it. It has a nice scent to the foliage, too, as I recall. [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
I like scent in the garden... when I went back to the nursery to arrange the delivery of our new weeping cherry, I spotted a nice witch hazel and added it to the order. :-)
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 26, 2008 at 8:41 AM:
There's a note that it'll grow well down into zone 9 Florida, so it might be another candidate for you to consider. The nursery guy told me the blooms really do smell sweet in winter, and it's not a fragrance you have to shove your nose in to notice... it'll waft right across the yard. I hope it's as pleasant as advertised, LOL!
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Posted by gessiegail (from Taft, TX) on April 27, 2008 at 5:36 PM:
I love Vitex! I think I love purple with wanting duranta, orchid tree,etc.!
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Subject: I've done this too
Posted by Dutchlady1 (from Naples, FL) on April 25, 2008 at 6:24 AM:
A nice article. My DH gave me a special plumeria seedling on our 24th anniversary and I am in the process of registering it as 'ventiquattro' (which is Italian for twenty-four).
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 25, 2008 at 8:39 AM:
How wonderful! That's a spectacular bloom... I love the shading on it!
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Posted by fancyvan (from Calgary, AB) on April 25, 2008 at 4:36 PM:
Ive done it somewhat differently since none of those special anniversaries you mentioned were part of my life.
My first cat's ashes are buried in one of the flower beds with a Red Osier Dogwood My father has a Morden Sunrise Rose and my mother has a Peony Raspberry Sundae ( because she loved Raspberries and Ice Cream!) Some of their ashes are mxed with the shrubs roots. And there are commenerative plaques too.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on April 25, 2008 at 7:07 PM:
Memorial trees are special, too! If either of my parents choose to be cremated one day, I hope some of their ashes will end up under the crooked willow in our yard...
Not a tree, but I do have red tulips as a memorial for my uncle. :-)
How about planting a special tree for your next "milestone" birthday?
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Posted by fancyvan (from Calgary, AB) on April 25, 2008 at 7:25 PM:
Good idea critter! Didnt think of that one - thats another two years though and it will have to be a shrub - no space for another tree!
The traditional theme for a 5th anniversary gift is "wood." We interpreted this a little less traditionally... our 5th anniversary gift to each other was a little home orchard for our new back yard. We chose dwarf varieties in order to have as many kinds of fruit as possible, and with careful spacing we squeezed in a dozen trees along one side of our lot. We had fun considering and debating about which trees to include, splitting them between mutual favorites (apples, pears, plums) and special favorites (cherries for him, nectarine and apricot trees for me). In spacing the trees for the orchard, I saved enough space in the back corner for a pair of pecan trees that I gave my husband as a birthday gift. It'll be a while yet before he gets any pecan pie from those trees; they're still small enough that a new branch is a cause for celebration.
A wonderful way to remember special people is to plant a tree that shares their name. Neighbors of ours wanted to plant a tree to commemorate the birth of their baby girl. They were thrilled to find a tree with the same name they'd given her. Every year, she has her "first day of school" photo taken in front of the tree, and every year she and the tree are both a little bigger. I couldn't resist getting a beautiful little 
With commemorative trees, I think it's important to fix on the idea of the tree rather than on a specific specimen. Otherwise, you'll take it as a bad omen when the tree you planted for Uncle Jeff's 50th birthday dies the next year. 
Since we don't have quite enough space to plant another willow closer to the house in a less wet location, we decided we needed to replace it with another tree entirely. This tree will also be special, since we'll plant it on our anniversary. We thought we'd have to search for weeks, but at our first nursery stop we found a beautiful little 
Arbor Day itself is an occasion to plant trees. Commemorative planting of special trees on other occasions adds personal meaning as well as beauty to your landscape. A New Arrival, an Anniversary, a Homecoming, a Birthday, a Graduation, a Family Reunion—any day can be an Arbor Day!
