.....reciprocity

Yogis,
You know how when you notice something, then you suddenly can’t stop noticing it? That has been ivy for me these last couple weeks.

English ivy or common ivy, the kind you picture climbing up the buildings of ivy league schools, was brought to the US as early as 1727 by the European settlers. Everyone loved it because it stays green all year, fills in bare areas and requires no care. But we loved it a bit too much and it is now invasive and threatens our forested areas.

I have plenty of experience with ivy since my old house, this house and our beach house all came with ivy included in the purchase price. Being young and naïve I thought it looked cool as it began covering the foundation and the base of trees, but as I and it matured, I learned the hard way how heavy a hand you have to use to rein it in. Ivy in the yard is not for the weak.

Each spring, I spend time removing ivy and other invasive vines (of which there are several new ones) from my trees. Cutting them back at the ground, pulling up roots when possible and cutting vines as high up as I can reach to make sure they don’t reconnect. I swear when I pulled the last vine off a small holly in my woods yesterday, she stood up straighter and shined. Trees appreciate our care.

Reciprocity.

Trees give to us every single day. Shade on those hottest summer days, warmth from the winter winds, fruit, nuts, wood for our firepits, the couch we sit on…….and the very air we breathe.  They provide shelter for birds, housing for insects and stability to our ground. They give and give and give. And what do we do other than take and take and take. That’s the question of reciprocity.

Lately as I walk through our town or along the river all I see are trees being smothered by ivy. All you have to do is look up!

Ivy starts to climb innocently enough offering greenery against brown bark. Soon it thickens. It continues to rise and engulf the trunk. When it finally reaches the branches it starts covering leaves blocking the process of photosynthesis. You begin to see limbs looking ragged. Branches begin falling. The tree is smothered if it isn’t first blown over by strong wind due to the weight of the ivy. It is a slow drawn out death.

I wasn’t going to write about this today. I know we don’t have the capacity to go in the woods and remove all the ivy and thought this would be like a yell into the dark. Then yesterday we went to visit the grandkids. As I walked in the door my grandson came running and grabbed my hand to show me their old raggedy pear tree in the back yard. It too, along with the ivy it is encased in, came with the house. It was in full bloom!

Then he points at the trunk.  Look what daddy and I did! There I see the lower 4 feet of trunk clear of ivy. He recounted how dad used the big sharp knife and he used the clippers to cut it off at the base and as high as they could reach. I knew then that yes! I was indeed supposed to write this today.

Take a walk around your property and neighborhood and notice. Mention it to neighbors who have ivy on their trees. Most people don’t know. Maybe lend a hand to a tree in the park who is just beginning to be climbed.  They will be most grateful.

Maybe you too won’t be able to stop noticing,
SARAH