Overview of Arbor Day and the Benefits of Trees in Built Landscapes
J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day in 1885, believed that planting trees made our earthly homes similar to the ways poets and other writers described "The Home in Heaven." They can also make their earthly home landscape a heaven for memories and remembrances.
Homeowners can plant trees in the home landscape to furnish physical structure to their planned designs. In addition to providing structure, trees can add monetary value to homes and bring health benefits. Here are some pointers from the Arbor Day Foundation about the importance of trees in the built landscape:
- Three trees tactically placed around a house can reduce utility bills by about 50%.
- Residential property values increase from 5 to 20% when well-cared-for trees are part of the property.
- Access to trees and landscaped green areas helps reduce stress and anger.
- Children with access to trees and landscaped green areas perform better in school, as concentration and, where present, symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are reduced.
- An acre of trees absorbs annually the same amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) as a car emits by driving 26,000 miles
Arbor Day Commemoration Ideas from Suite101 Landscaping Articles
Even though most springtime Arbor Day festivities are school and community based, homeowners can observe Arbor Day any time of the growing season, not just in the spring. The following articles present many ideas:
- Trees: The Gift of Love describes the writer's garden landscape and thirty years of designing landscaped features using trees, shrubs, and woody ornamentals based on various celebrations, gifts from friends, and exchanges with garden club friends and horticultural societies. The article also suggests some sources for obtaining special woody ornamentals and charities that accept donations for tree planting.
- Trees and Love: Sources suggests internet sites that help decide what trees to choose for commemorative planting, and organizations that accept donations for memorial or celebratory tree.
- Trees: The Gift of Love – II continues the story of the writer's garden landscape and the tradition of honoring friends and commemorating special times. The descriptions and uses of trees planted to commemorate births of two grandsons are central to this article.
- Trees: The Gift of Love – III provides examples of woody ornamentals planted to commemorate the births of three more grandchildren and the rationale behind each choice. The trees and showy flowering shrubs planted to celebrate each grandchild's birth supply a vigorous supply of love, good wishes, and functional design in the writer's home landscape.
- The National Arbor Day Foundation is located at:
- 211 North Twelfth Street, Lincoln, NE 68508
- tel: (888) 448-7337
- fax: (402) 474-0820
- Arbor Lodge (Home of Arbor Day) is located in Nebraska City, NE and is now a Nebraska State Park. A one-half mile tree trail winds through the original arboretum area planted by the Mortons. The arboretum covers the entire 65 acres of the park and features over 250 varieties of trees and shrubs.
- Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, rates The National Arbor Day Foundation with three out of four stars (four being the best).
©Text by Georgene A. Bramlage, April 2007. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
