The Northwest is a region that recycles, whether by habit, by law or by a desire for environmental stewardship. And while we may all diligently pack our cans and paper into bins, compost our food waste or even shop second-hand, our definition of recycling doesn't usually expand to include one deceptively obvious category: trees.
Recycling a tree may seem like a daunting task. After all, as every fourth grader could tell you, the root system of a tree typically mirrors the size of the aboveground portion of the tree. A young tree might be small enough to transplant, but moving a mature tree seems a ludicrous notion. It's this sort of thinking that results in those tragic scenarios where a neighborhood is confronted with the early-morning hum of chainsaws, a series of whip-like cracks and the slow, basso profundo death knell of a geriatric tree gasping its last.
Luckily, for those of us who read "The Giving Tree" a few too many times as children, there is a local tree hero who is giving mature trees new lives in the yards of grateful recipients. These tree adoptions are handled with care by Master Builders Association and Built Green member, Big Trees. With a name like "Big Trees" it wouldn't be hard to guess what owners Ross and Nancy Latham base their business on, but the sheer environmental ingenuity behind their tree transplant work is exciting in its application.
One local family of arborphiles took advantage of Big Trees' services in order to create a stunning, multi-themed landscape in their yard. The family lived in a typical unincorporated Snohomish dwelling, complete with acreage. The house was 10 to 15 years old and no landscaping had been done, apart from fence-to-fence grass making the backyard look not unlike a football field.
The family wanted an interesting and artistic yard, with a wide color wash of both young and mature trees, but also sought to accommodate their children's need to play in an accessible, fuss-free setting. With form and function in mind, Big Trees collaborated with the couple to map out a landscape plan that was beautiful, but not a hands-off museum for delicate flora.
At the heart of the project was to be a large, old tree that would grace the front of the house, offering an earthy welcome and visual gravitas to the home's entrance. Answering the call, Big Trees sourced a 100-year-old Japanese maple coming from a home in Everett that needed the tree removed to accommodate a sewer line. This particular tree is in a category known as "specimen trees," which, as Ross Latham says, "is about the tree equivalent of an Olympic athlete" in terms of structure and health. After assessing the tree's viability, the Lathams gave it a good bill of health and began the task of salvage.
