Soiled and Seeded Issue 6: Branching Out

"Exploring the varied collaboration between people and plants, we aim to cultivate a sensibility that strengthens our connection to the natural world".

The above is one of the aims of Soiled and Seeded, an online quarterly magazine "Cultivating a garden culture". It is an interesting, very varied publication- well worth checking out- and I was only too happy to contribute an article to this Winter's issue in their section Branching Out. Entitled "A Tree's Value", needless to say it is about trees! Link:
And here are a couple of my photos included in the article- a Coral Tree and a Silk Floss Tree:

Coral Trees and Moreton Bay Figs and Violet

Last week I had to look after my very new Granddaughter- Violet- for a few hours in Santa Monica. Having her in her sling, I decided to take her on a walk to view- whether awake or asleep- two of my very favourite species of trees that are in the same vicinity. They happen both to be unbelievably fabulous, in the original meaning of the word.

I was slightly hampered by the fact that Violet's sling was sized for her mother who is much taller than me- so if I did not manually support her she banged against my legs at each step...and me being far too aged to be a natural mother, and having her in this ill-fitting sling rather than a stroller, I did fantasize that a cop car might waylay me as a child abductor...

First we walked to San Vicente Boulevard. Here are the always rewarding and exciting Coral trees which form a wondrous central pageant of extraordinary pale pinky,lilacy orange sculptures on the green median, where they replaced the Pacific Electric trolly track. In previous posts I have described how an early environmental activist, fellow Treesaver Carol Purcell, together with Mayor Clo Hoover, saved these trees from destruction by the City Council back in the 60's. Since then, they became the official tree emblem of Los Angeles and certain trees on San Vicente were given Historic-Cultural status.

Secondly, we left San Vicente to walk down La Mesa Drive, famous for yet more extraordinary, sculptural trees- the over the top, excessively rooted Moreton Bay Figs. These super-cousins of my beloved Ficus/ Green Gem trees, I have also featured before on this blog. Here they form a curved avenue and each tree amazes you with its uniqueness. On this particular day it had been raining, so the bark, instead of being silvery gray, was often streaked in rich, rusty brown.

I will start with five images of details of Coral trees, followed by the Moreton Bay Figs:

Cross Creek Road Trees

When I visit Malibu Lagoon, I usually start my operations from Malibu Country Mart, in Cross Creek Road, just opposite the Lagoon, on the other side of the Pacific Coast Highway. Today these trees caught my eye: first, a peacock-tail-like heavily pruned Ficus tree against the blue sky and secondly an extraordinary Gaudi-like Coral tree- but then Coral trees always are extraordinary...so here they are, starting with the Ficus tree:

CORAL TREES: Expo Phase 2

For the last two evenings I have attended meetings including presentations by the Planning and Community Development Department (PCD) of Phase 2 of the Exposition Light Rail Project- for a light rail from downtown LA to Santa Monica Pier. The first presentation was given specifically for Treesavers- the reason being that one of the proposed plans entails running the last stage of the rail down Olympic Boulevard and cutting down 44 of the extraordinary Coral trees lining the central, grassy median.

These Coral trees are quite unique: standing in single file they are like a wonderful arrangement of amazing, organic sculptures. Olympic Boulevard on the South side of the City reflects San Vicente Boulevard on the North side, both having similar patterns of these exceptional trees and thus defining and giving identity to the City. In the 1960's the trees on San Vicente were threatened but saved by a committee led by Mayor Clo Hoover (instrumental in the original planting of the Ficus Trees on 2nd and 4th Streets) and including Treesaver Carol Purcell. Coral trees even became the official tree of Los Angeles in 1966 and certain trees on San Vicente were granted Historic-Cultural status.

The second meeting to have the Presentation was tonight at City Hall, at a City Council meeting. The great thing about this meeting was that for once we- the public and Treesavers- were not opposed by the City Councilmembers. The alternative route for this last stage of the rail was down Colorado Avenue and this was unaminously agreed to be the best alternative- largely because it would be a danger to schoolchildren on Olympic and would include an expensive raised segment. However, in this instance the City do not have the authority to make the final decision- this is in the hands of PCD. But at least we have the City behind us with a strong case for Colorado, which does not depend on often ignored environmental and aesthetic reasons.

Carol Purcell: Treesaver

Just as there are certain rare trees that bowl you over with their character and uniqueness, so are there certain people: Carol Purcell is one of them.

I well remember the impression she made on me when I first saw her striding into a Treesavers’ meeting with her magnificent Yucca staff. I love people who dress like paintings, and this she does- like a Matisse painting- always wearing beautiful colors and personalizing her clothes with delightful details- whether adding bindings made from contrasting patterned fabrics (she is a quilt-maker) or flowers to her many beautiful hats:




Not only is she a joy to look at but she’s also a joy to talk to- and has a fund of interesting stories.

She is of that admirable generation of American Twentieth Century women: a pioneer, an early environmental activist- a whole woman.

Born in Virginia, her father being a Naval Officer (stationed in Constantinople) the family were mobile, moving to the tropical island of Guam after three years in Milwaukee. Three years later they moved to California- first to San Diego and then to Long Beach. There they experienced the 1933 earthquake, when their house moved 11 inches- but her resourceful father saved it from collapsing by propping it up with 4x4 timbers!

When Carol’s father retired, the family bought an early trailer, large enough for 6 people- Carol, her parents, her 3 brothers and 2 Scottie dogs. They intrepidly explored 33 States.

Finally, in 1935, they came to Santa Monica. Here they moved a house from 4th Street to a lot on 21st Street and Washington. Again resourceful, her father rebuilt the house with the help of her brothers, who were excused from school for the experience. He was also a “sailor turned farmer” and cultivated fruit trees. Today, Carol belongs to the Rare Fruits Society. She spoke with pleasure of a valley she had visited with the society, planted with alternate Avocados and Cherimoyas, which fruit she described as “the nectar of the gods” and Mark Twain described as “the most delicious fruit known to man”.

Carol met her husband when he was at UCLA. They had 2 daughters and 1 son. When we joined a group of Treesavers at the Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel she told us that it was there that she became engaged and had her first Champagne. Coincidentally, when asking her whether she had a favorite tree, she said yes, the Miramar Fig tree (a stupendous Moreton Bay Fig Tree, with a charming history attached to it. see Link) known as the “Kissing Tree”:


And here she is with her staff at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon:



Carol’s interest in trees was sparked by her friendship with George Hastings, author of “Trees of Santa Monica”. She first became an environmental activist when the City threatened to remove the extraordinary Coral Trees on San Vicente Boulevard:


She and Clo Hoover (who became first woman Mayor of Santa Monica and supported the Downtown planting of the Ficus trees on 2nd and 4th Streets), among others, were successful in saving them. For this we must all thank her.

When her husband went off to the 2nd World War and her 17 year old son went into the Naval Reserve, Carol decided to take her daughters camping as she did not want them to “marry the village idiot”. Just as her enterprising parents had driven through 33 States, Carol drove her daughters and 2 bicycles in a small Buick for 1800 miles across America- Key West Florida, the Hudson River, Vermont, New York (this was where one of her country-loving daughters cried in despair: “Momma, show me a COW!”) and finally across Canada to Calgary.

In 1967 they moved to San Francisco but after Carol’s husband died she returned “home” to Santa Monica in 2000. And now she is a tree-activist yet again, helping us to save the Ficus trees. Carol is an inspiration to us all, sitting there with her knitting through long City Council meetings- she explains how knitting helps her concentration and that after learning to knit at school, when a senior she was allowed to knit during classes as she was making socks for soldiers overseas.

Asking her what advice she would give future generations regarding trees, she replied that trees should be “respected”- they are living things and should not be carved or harmed.