Old oaks are a gateway to the past
There are few things that give us a chance to ponder the past.
There are few things that have done so much to be a custodian of the gardens.
More importantly old oaks look after the surrounding environment and eco systems.
Do you know where your nearest old oak is?
Do you want to know?
Our good friend Ben Pollard from Mighty Fine Oaks has spent much of the last 10 years tracking down these old oak trees, learning about their stories and most importantly harvesting the acorns from each tree and growing them on.
To date Ben has grown over 2000 oak saplings, some now 7 years old and over 4m high.
He encourages you to plant your own oak.
Ben says "Oak trees are a symbol of many of the good things in life: generosity, stability, resilience, connection, strength, persistence, joy."
When you come to plant an oak, remember these words were written for you ...
"These trees which he plants, and under whose shade he shall never sit, he loves them for themselves, and for the sake of his children and his children's children, who are to sit beneath the shadow of their spreading boughs."
Hyacinthe Loyson, 1866 (translated from the French)
Here's a link to Mighty Fine Oaks, you can watch a video about Mighty Fine Oaks and Ben's mission.
Here's today's podcast
https://anchor.fm/allgardening/episodes/167-The-Mighty-Fine-Oaks-e1ut0cv
Phil
Founder of All Gardening