Redwoods: Really Big Trees!

For years I have wanted to see the big redwood trees of coastal California. Last month I was able to fulfill my dream, along with two of my sons.This massive redwood is known as the Founders Tree and is 346.1 feet tall and 40 feet in circumference.Coastal redwoods often grow in big groves, where their root systems, while only about 10 feet deep, extend outward from the trunks up to 50 feet, intertwining with the roots of other redwoods to provide mutual support and strength to withstand powerful storms. The groves with the largest redwoods are along the Avenue of the Giants in northern California, and that is where we headed.

We took a precarious, twisting two-lane route through the mountains to get there. My oldest son, the best of backseat drivers, kept up a steady stream of statements such as, "Imagine if you had a wreck here; it would take hours to get you out," and "If you went off the road here, no one would find you for days," and other similar encouraging words. My other son, who was driving, gripped the steering wheel and did not say much.

It was worth it all, and we would do it again.

Redwood trees are the largest trees on the planet, growing to 300' tall with a diameter of 24'. Actually, there are three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods. Sequoiadendron giganteum is also known as Giant Sequoia, Giant Redwood and Wellingtonia. Sequoia sempervirens, which is what we saw, in general is a little taller and more narrow than the Giant Sequoia. It is also called Coastal Redwood and grows along the Pacific coast, whereas the Giant Sequoia grows more inland. Metasequoia glyptostrobides is known as the Dawn Redwood. It was thought to be extinct until it was discovered growing in China in 1944. Cuttings and seedlings have been sent throughout the world, and now they are found growing in North America, Asia, and Europe. Aldridge Gardens in my central Alabama area has a nice specimen. Dawn redwoods are large trees but not nearly as massive as other redwoods. They are also notable in that they are deciduous, with orange fall foliage.

Massive redwoods like the ones we witnessed along the Avenue of the Giants are truly awesome and are a national treasure. Such trees are excellent anti-pollutants, removing three times the harmful carbons from the air than other types of trees. They have very thick bark that is resistant to fire, insects, disease and rot. They can live to 2000 to 3000 years, though the usual life span is 500 to 700 years.How old was this redwood before it fell? And how many years will it feed the forest as it slowly rots away?Even much younger trees are a sight, as they will grow 100 feet in their first 50 years.This ring of "young" redwoods was outside the cabin we rented.

View from inside the ring of redwoods.

We came to the Drury-Chaney Grove toward the end of the day. We were transported to an ancient realm, a primeval paradise of stunning beauty. We were sorry we discovered it so late in the afternoon, as we did not have time for anything but a short hike.

Scenes from inside the Drury-Chaney Grove:

 

We are already planning to go back next year to see what we missed.

You may also enjoy my previous post : About Trees

Grandmother's Garden at Sloss Furnaces

Long ago in another era, rivers of molten metal flowed out of Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama, during the production of pig iron, which was used for conversion into steel, cast iron, and wrought iron. Slag, a stony waste product, was discarded nearby, and for many years the colossal pile of slag continued to grow. Sloss finally discovered that slag could be crushed and sold for road and railroad ballast. The company also sold pulverized slag as "Farmer's Friend," an alkaline product similar to ground limestone, used to amend acid soils.

Silent now, Sloss has become a national landmark claimed to be haunted by specters of the past. In 1985, a six-room wood-framed cottage, built around 1905 by the Duncan family, was donated to the Birmingham Historical Society. It was moved to the slag area adjacent to Sloss Furnace to serve as a headquarters office for the Society. It also serves as an example of a type of house that would have been inhabited by furnace supervisors residing in Sloss Quarters. A three-room, shotgun-style home, similar to those used by managers and workers, is also on the site.

The Duncan house has a porch covered by 'Peggy Martin' rose.Grandmother's Garden was begun behind the Duncan house in 2006, as a project with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. But what to do with all that slag? Why, plant a garden on top of it, of course! We gardeners do like challenges, but initial efforts to till the ground broke the tiller blades! In 2007, raised beds were built. Underlaid with the porous slag, drainage is excellent, and plants that like alkaline soil flourish.

Grandmother's Garden represents a long-ago era when families ate primarily from home gardens. These gardens contained mainly vegetables and herbs used for cooking and medicine.Worker's house and vegetable gardenOrnamental plants usually were roses, hollyhocks, and peonies, and a few "porch plants" grown in pots.These are some of the roses at Grandmother's Garden.

I tasted mulberries for the first time in my life at Grandmother's Garden. The dark blue, ripe ones were very sweet and delicious. Now I want a mulberry tree!.Plantings at Grandmother's Garden reflect plants that were available to Birmingham residents in the early 1900s. An alternative to genetically altered crops, these "heirloom" plants are time-tested and easy to grow. In addition to evoking fond memories of bygone times, native Alabama heirlooms also are very well adapted to our climate and are often disease resistant.

According to the Birmingham Historical Society, research shows that heirloom plants also:

*taste better, with stronger flavor than modern versions

*provide greater yields

*help preserve genetic diversity

*require less chemical spraying

*help feed pollinators that find hybrid varieties less attractive

*support organic gardening practices

These photos of Grandmother's Garden give you an idea of the urban setting:

For more information about Sloss Furnaces and to see some interesting photos, read my previous post, Sloss Furnaces: A Blast From the Past.

Also, the photo at the top of this post is of an 'American Beauty' rose growing at Grandmother's Garden, which I photoshopped to give an artistic flare.