When I was little, the family across the street from us planted a tree in their front yard. The little girl who lived there was my best friend at the time and I remember standing next to her and her father as they dug the hole and lowered the baby tree into the ground, roots and all. It seemed difficult to believe that one day that tiny twig would match the size of the other trees lining their property. And it seemed even more difficult to imagine that in thirty years time, I would be around to see it.
My friend moved to Texas the following year (totally devastating by the way) but that tree remained. It grew every year just like her father said it would and now I can see it standing tall every time I look out the kitchen window of my mom’s house. A permanent reminder (at least to me) of the family who lived there so many years ago.
Would I remember planting that tree if it wasn’t still there? Probably not. It’s like how your memories become your photos over time. Physical evidence of our time spent on earth.
In honor of Earth Day, Lands’ End asked me to partner with them to celebrate the millionth tree they’ve planted through the National Forest Foundation. Rather than just dress my family in their clothes and call it a day, I decided to up their tree count to one million and ONE.
Only this tree would be planted in our backyard.
Last Saturday (which was the most beautiful day of the year so far), Mazzy, Harlow, Mike and I dug a hole in the ground at our summer house, went to the local nursery, and picked out a tree that will hopefully grow up right alongside my girls.
I didn’t know what tree we would get, but on the way there Mazzy asked if we could get something with pink flowers. I am so used to saying “no” to all her ridiculous pink requests (pink hair, pink food, pink nails, etc.) I was surprised when Mike said, “Sure, if they have a pink flowering tree available at the nursery, we can get it.”
It was that moment I realized this experience was more meaningful than I first imagined. Not only were we planting a tree as a symbolic gesture, we were showing the girls how beautiful and amazing nature can be. It was a reminder to myself as well. I’ve always loved pink flowering trees and it never really occurred to me that I could easily plant one in my own yard.
In fact, a few weeks ago, I posted a beautiful picture on @pinkinnyc of a pink flowering tree in DC. I said it was cherry blossoms but people corrected me in the comments— it was magnolias. I showed the pic to Mazzy (as I do all the our @pinkinnyc pics) and she immediately recognized the name when the man at the nursery listed what would grow well in our area. Deer is a big problem in Eastern Long Island and the man told us deer stay away from Magnolia trees which made Mike very happy too.
“Can we get a Magnolia tree, Mom?” Mazzy pleaded.
There was no reason to tell her no. I was as excited as she was.
We put the tree in the trunk of our car and drove slowly with it sticking out the back, the trunk wide open.
“I’ll watch it, Mom!” Mazzy yelled. She kept calling out if it started to wobble or roll. Mazzy, the protector of all things Magnolia.
When we got back to the house, the girls armed themselves with mini shovels and rakes, wanting to help out as much as they could.
Mike and I lowered the tree into the ground and everyone worked together to pile the soil back on top.
Then we watered the tree and admired our green thumbs.
If you are wondering who took the family shots, it was my dad (aka Poppy) who lives nearby and often visits when we come out for the weekend.
If you are wondering what we are wearing, you can find all items (including Mazzy’s woven sheath, Harlow’s cinched waist, Mike’s twill button down and my red suede loafers) currently available on the Lands’ End site.
I am so grateful to Lands’ End for reminding me of that full grown tree in my neighbor’s yard and inspiring me to recreate that childhood memory with my own family.
One day those tiny twigs will become big thick branches and Magnolia petals will rain down on our yard from above for two to three weeks a year. And in thirty years, Mazzy and Harlow will tell their kids— I remember when we planted that tree. We should plant a tree of our own to grow up with you guys too.
Today, Land’s End is offering a $250 gift card to one lucky reader. To enter, just follow the rules below.
Giveaway Rules
1) You must be a Mommy Shorts subscriber or facebook fan to enter. Then leave a comment below telling me what kind of tree you want to plant with your family.
2) For a second entry, tweet the following and leave a second comment saying you did so:
I entered to win a $250 @landsend gift card via @mommyshorts! http://bit.ly/1PifJ6h #IAmLandsFriendly #earthday
Winner will be announced on Friday May 1st.
Good luck and have a happy Earth Day!
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WINNER UPDATE:
And the winner is… Lisacng@expandng.com who would like to plant a Japanese Maple or Cherry Blossom Tree.
Congrats! Please contact abby@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize.
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This post was sponsored by Lands’ End but all thoughts, opinions, and love of Magnolia trees is my own.
I don’t know if it would be possible, but I would love to plant a weeping willow tree. When we moved to our home in the country when I was in grade 5, there was a weeping willow tree – I’d never seen one before and fell in love! It was a great climbing tree, and such an ingrained symbol of my childhood – when I moved out and would return for visits, that tree was always the first thing I would look for that when I saw it, filled me with “Ahhhh … home” feeling. (btw I am Canadian so not sure if open to people outside the US but wanted to share my story anyway!).
i would love to plant an orange tree.
I would plant a whole forest of I could! I LOVE trees!!! But really, maybe an apple tree because I love apples too!
I would love to plant a dogwood tree in our yard. We had one growing up, and I loved watching it grow each year.
I’d plant a crepe myrtle – I love them so much!
A palm, of course!
My girls and I will be planting a pomegranate tree today. Hopefully in a few years it will be bearing fruit.
I have always had a fascination with Weeping Willows. They seemed magical and fairy tale-like to me growing up. I would LOVE to have one for my kids to play under.
I would plant a dogwood tree. When I was growing up my home life was pretty turbulent and the one place I always felt loved and stable was my Nonna’s house. It was my paradise. In her yard she had a beautiful flowering dogwood. I have memories and photos of myself in Easter dresses posing under this tree. The house is long sold now and my grandparents have passed. A dogwood would be my way of honoring and remembering them.
We’d plant a Magnolia tree as well. They are one of my favorites.
I REALLY want to plant a crepe myrtle. Like Mazzy, I want a pink flowering tree (or several) in my yard! In our next house we will be doing some serious landscaping. I planted a tree for Earth Day once in my childhood home; can’t wait to share that with my boys! Your magnolia will be gorgeous!
I would plant a plum tree! I have so many memories of eating plums off of my parents tree growing up in Kansas.
I would like to plant a mimosa tree somewhere in our yard. When I was growing up in VA we had them and they have the most beautiful pink, fluffy flowers. We called them powder puffs and would pick them and pretend we were powdering our faces ( a necessary makeup act in the 50’s). I live in Texas now and have actually seen some in my neighborhood, so I know our heat won’t fry one. It would be such fun to have a mimosa tree in my yard so our latest granddaughter could “powder” her face. Wonder if they sell them at Lowe’s????
some kind of fruit tree. probably apple or cherry – two of my daughter’s favorite fruits
I would love to have a Dogwood tree. They are so pretty and have so much meaning.
I personally love weeping willows, but I think I’d let my daughter choose a tree she loves (or maybe plant 2+ trees!). I’m guessing she would pick a flowering tree, but she may like a fruit tree even more! Toddlers can be surprising with their choices sometimes!
I tweeted 🙂
I would love to plant an apple tree in our yard!
Im going to say a pine tree but only because this just happened.
So last week my Kindergartner comes home with a tree, a legit living baby pine tree and I thought to myself, what are we supposed to do wit that! And then I remembered that we were visiting Mimi at her house in Maine and it is the perfect place for a pine tree to grow. After we planted it I remembered that my own elementary school had sent me home with a pine tree and I had planted it in the backyard to watch it grow. We moved away a few years later but I still visit the neighbors… next visit maybe I will sneak into the backyard of our old house to see if my little tree is still there .
Birch tree. Our Norwegian Birch tree died last year and I’d replace it. This is such a good idea to share with young children. You’ve gotten me thinking…
I love weeping willows!
I would love to have a couple different kind of apple trees. My grandma has one in her backyard and in the fall she makes homemade apple butter, applesauce, and cobbler. It’s so much fun. I’d love my kids to grow up with that experience!
Purple crape myrtle or dogwood – Love seeing pinks and purples blooming on trees
I would plant a mountain laurel in our backyard. Springtime in south Texas is beautiful. These trees produce gorgeous purple flowers that smell amazing. They are my favorite trees! Happy Earth Day!
An Aspen tree. They remind me of my mother.
I’d love to plant an apple tree – I’ve started a new tradition of going apple picking every fall with my family. Having one in my backyard bearing fruit during my fav time of year would be awesome!
I would plant a dogwood tree – there’s just something about those beautiful flowers! We are renters now, but hoping to purchase soon, and it is the FIRST bit of gardening I plan to do!
I would have to say a Weeping Willow…our neighbors have Magnolia trees and they are so pretty when in bloom.
We would love to plant an apple tree. Pretty and useful!
I think a Magnolia would be very pretty in our yard. We already have pear, apple, cherry, cypress, and a maple. Why not a pretty Magnolia too!
If I could get an avocado tree to grow here I would plant a whole grove, more realistically I would love a peach tree or an apricot tree like I had growing up.
I would plant a weeping willow tree, we planted one in my backyard 30 years ago. Those trees still remind me of my childhood.
We would plant a magnolia tree as well! Love Lands End. Happy Earth Day!
I would love a magnolia or dogwood, but they don’t grow here in NM. Instead, I’d plant a redbud.
I would like to love a nice oak tree. My grandparents had one for years that all us grandkids played in. Unfortunately a tornado damaged it so much that they had to remove it. But they did replant a tree right by it.
Mulberry tree! We had one when I was growing up that was just a skinny thing but 8 years later of living in the same house (before we moved) it was pretty sturdy and delicious. I would love for my son to have the same experience of a snack he can pick himself from the yard or help me collect to make pies. It also is great when it gets bigger because then he could climb it. Although that’s a little scary I’m a fan of anything that gets him outside and playing.
This is so sweet. We have planted several fruit tress to grow up with our kids (we have a peach, 2 apples, and 2 pears) and many, many trees from the Arbor Day foundation. I would really love a weeping willow, though. And I LOVE Land’s End. Seriously, their bathing suits are the best for us busty gals, and I really like the On The Counter section of their website, where the sale prices drop throughout the week.
Our family gave us an apple tree when our first son was born in 2010, along with the book Johnny Appleseed. It’s fitting since Nico eats at least 2-3 apples a day! He gets a huge kick out of seeing the little apples grow and grow until he can finally eat one!!
We lost our red bud tree last year. I’d love to plant another one! They are so beautiful in the spring here in Tennessee!
I am a convert to the pink magnolias!
I’d plant a Japanese cherry blossom tree – we had one growing up in our front yard and for a few weeks every year the smell was amazing.
I really, really want to plant a royal empress tree, but my husband says they are “invasive” so I either have to trick him or pick something else. Haha.
i would love to plant a fig tree.
This is such a great post. Definitely going to plant a Magnolia tree.
I would love to have a fruit tree, cherry probably, since that’s my favorite fruit of all time. We have a HUGE magnolia tree in our front yard. It’s beautiful when it blooms and it’s lovely when the petals fall and the ground is covered in pink. It’s less fun when the petals get wet or walked on because they are like walking on banana peels! I’ll post a pic on your Facebook page 🙂
I’d love an Orange Tree… too bad it gets so cold here. Last year we planted a Linden on my sons birthday. We can watch them grow together each year.
I tweeted!
I would LOVE to plant a peach tree (or two) in our yard. It has been on my backyard wish-list for quite some time. Maybe this will be the year!
I would plant a pear tree so we could have fruit all summer and in the winter we could sing “a partridge in a pear tree…”
I’m a big fan of apple trees. The smells and blooms.
I would love to plant one in our new yard!
I would love to have an apple tree in my yard. Preferable honeycrisp, my favorite apple!
And I tweeted!
We recently planted a maple tree in our yard that was a seedling of a maple tree at the house I grew up in. I would love to do an Apple tree next!
I love my Chinese Pistache. We’re about to move and I would plant another! Drought-toletant, beautiful foliage. Reminds me of how my family is resiliant, strong and beautiful.
I am dying to plant a white wisteria in my yard this year! Heading to the nursery this weekend to try and find one!
We live in the District of Columbia and are lucky in that we have a stand alone cottage with a big for DC yard. Our goal with our yard is to be as environmentally friendly as possible (no fertilzer, native plants, pollinator gardens, etc). Our next yard project is to plant a couple of trees. We have all ready picked out our trees, both native to the DC area, Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) and Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana). We’d love to do a large canopy tree, like a red maple, but our yard just doesn’t feel big enough. Plus, my daughter loves the pink flowers.
A cherry blossom tree. We already have a lavender and dogwood tree in our front yard.
i would plant a dogwood tree. I love the pink flowers,
And they would remind me of my parents home every
Spring when it bloomed.
I would love to plant a walnut tree! I have always wanted a tree that I could harvest and was also beautiful! My son would love to collect the nuts! Thanks for sharing!
An apple tree!
If we had a yard ( which one day I hope to have!) I would want to plant a pear tree! They are beautiful!
I would love a palm tree, but since I live somewhere it was still 30 degrees this morning, that won’t be happening. We just moved and our old house had a small ‘orchard’. There was a cherry tree, Apple, and pear tree. I already miss them dearly so I would like to plant another small orchard
I would choose a weeping willow tree, although I’d have to do some research to see if it would survive our weather!
A Japanese maple. So beautiful in the fall.
An oak tree ❤️
I also tweeted https://twitter.com/monstersmom0212/status/590901931926691840
I love this post 🙂
We will be planting a peach tree and a plum tree as soon as the “call before you dig” guys come and mark up the yard and I can make sure I won’t damage anything in my digging.
Tweeted!
I would love to have fig tree in my backyard!
I would love to plant a Norwegian Pine when we have a house with a yard!
My parents planted a Buckeye tree in our yard when I was born. I’d love to plant a Buckeye tree for our little guy, too!
We have a magnolia in our backyard, and we LOVE it too! I would like to add a flowering pear tree sometime!
We want to plant either a Bradford pear or a dogwood! They are both beautiful trees!
I’d love to plant a lemon tree. My daughter and I love all things lemon and/or tart.
We have always planned to plant a corkscrew willow tree in the backyard of our new-ish house. They grow quickly and the leaves aren’t huge like a maple or something that will make a big mess. We had corkscrew willow branches as decorations at our wedding and we moved into our house 6 months after we were married. Maybe this summer we’ll finally get one in the ground!
I’m a Facebook fan and subscriber. 🙂
I would need to plant the most self-reliant tree available, but thumb is not green – as soon as it’s in the ground, it would be on it’s own! (with my thumb being so ‘brown’ – I don’t even know what type of tree that would be!!)
This is the sweetest story and the most wonderful idea. My kids want to plant an apple tree, so we might just need to make that happen.
My dad did the same with me. He planted two cherry trees and an apple tree when I was 8 years old and we moved into our “forever home”. I am 28 years old, and my parents still live in that house. Now I am going over there to visit with my 3 year old son, and watching him run around the still small, but MUCH larger trees that I helped my father plant.
I would want to plant an apple tree for my son, just like my dad did for me.
I also tweeted your message; I am @hippo_25th
This weekend we are planting a Tupelo tree we received from our Children’s Ministry at church. A beautiful reminder of children as they grow.
I would plant a lilac bush, my late-grandma’s favorite and a perfect way to usher in springtime. Or! A tart cherry tree, so I can pick the cherries with my sons and make cherry pies!
The house I grew up in had a big oak tree in the front yard. It was always larger than I am. The tree shaded the front of our home, the branches enticed my childhood cat, and the fallen leaves and acorns provided lots of entertainment. If I were planting a tree now, I would plant an oak tree in tribute to the yard that was the setting of so many of my own childhood high-jinks.
My husband and I were just talking about this last night as we just purchased our first home. We want to plant a dogwood tree in our front yard to grow up with our 18 month old son.
My daughter has been asking for years if we can plant an apple tree. I’m hoping within the next couple of years we will finally move somewhere we feel comfortable settling for the long haul and buy a house. Then I can answer her question with a “Of course honey, where do you want to put it.”
I’d love to plant a flowering tree too. A dogwood or a magnolia. 🙂
I have always loved willow trees 🙂
Tweeted!
My yard is ALL trees (the joys of living in the woods), but if I was to plant another one to join the forest, it would be a Pecan Tree. My mother had an aunt who had Pecan Trees in her yard, and she always said that the Pecan was the smartest tree in the forest because it never put out leaves until the last frost was over. So you can always tell that Spring is really here by looking at the Pecan Tree.
So I would plant a Pecan Tree.
I would definitely plant a gardenia tree and have my fingers crossed that the deer that come to our yard would stay away, just like they do for your magnolia. The smell would make me so happy!
I have always wanted to plant a flowering cherry tree since we had one at my childhood home and I loved it, not sure why I haven’t done it yet!
I want to plant a green apple tree. My kids love green apples and they are great climbing trees, which is one of my kids favorite activities !!
I was going to say dogwood, but now I want a magnolia tree! Lol. Mazzy would be so pleased to learn how many people want pink trees, now
I would like to plant a lemon tree. Citrus grows nicely here in Phoenix and my girls love lemonade!
an apple tree because my daughter madison loves apple picking and what better place to pick than our backyard?
I tweeted this !!
I would love a pink plumeria!!!!
I think the pink is awesome…but my favorite is blue, a blue spruce, especially when you can get the kind that are a crisp, icy blue. They smell great, and are year round. They also live a long time and do well in our area.
I would plant a Cassia tree! They have beautiful yellow flowers that bloom around November just in time for my birthday! 🙂
I love a traditional maple tree – one whose leaves turn bright red/orange in the fall
I tweeted too! https://twitter.com/baretz/status/590906340945563650
I’d love to plant an apple tree.