I am really looking forward to your new book! I wonder if you talked with the California fig tree collectors? They search out and save wild trees. Ever since reading about them, my husband has been obsessed with fig trees, figs and making fig jam. Fortunately, one of our sons has a green fig tree in his yard, but hubby has a few varieties of figs germinating on our back deck. I forgot to mention that we don’t have a yard to plant them in. It will be pots for a while and then ??.
There are so many fruit tree collectors! I did not talk to fig collectors, but I did talk to apple and persimmon collectors. Basically, if you're a tree collector, you probably collect oaks, maples, palm/tropical trees, or fruit trees. The reason those four are so popular is that there's such diversity, so a lot to collect!
There is absolutely nothing like fresh fig jam! It is my all time favorite. My mother used to water our neighbor’s neglected fig tree (with permission and the promise of fig jam) so that she could harvest the figs. That was back in Fredericksburg Texas when and where pretty much all neighbors were known family friends or relatives. I have two fig trees in my back garden, one Texas brown turkey and the other Kadota. Both suffered greatly during two extremely cold Texas winters and two extremely hot Texas summers. Much loved—-I talk to both——they are producing what could be a big crop this year. I am hopeful. A book recommendation: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.
What a great idea for a book! I've loved your Kopp sisters books, which is how I discovered from your website some time ago that you're also an artist. I liked the oil paintings you'd included on your site, so I started following you on Instagram. Your relaxed, constantly inventive style has been an inspiration to me. Which is all to say, thank you for introducing me to 'tree collecting.' I now realize I've known a couple myself. My father, at heart, was a carpenter and always aware of, and planting, trees. Many stories there, but moving on. In 2008 I saw a burr oak acorn - I was smitten, and had to have one. In my search for burr oaks, I learned they're native to the midwest and seldom found in my area, Virginia. I also learned there are several in a memorial park in Danville, and one in Elkton, Virginia where a man came for many years and collected the acorns! I got his name, his address (in my town!), called him and visited. Hoping to come home with an burr oak acorn. Turns out the caps of those acorns (and probably most types of acorns) fall off fairly quickly, and anyway he was more interested in planting them. Which he had done. All over the back yard of his standard size suburban residence. I came home without an acorn, but with 12 assorted small saplings he insisted I take with me, no charge. We planted them, with minimal results. However, the two survivors are both burr oaks - so maybe one day!!
Your new tree book looks and sounds interesting and fun. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Did you ever read A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry and illustrated by Marc Simont? It's a children's picture book. My great aunt bought me a copy when I was a small child several decades ago and I see that it is still in print! I remember loving it and looking at the pictures over and over...
Perfect gift for my tree collecting husband. He waters trees that the city plants and then leaves to die. He “unmarks” trees slated for destruction. And he pulls ignored vines off big trees to save them. We own 1/3 of an acre and he has planted 21 trees so far…
I finally started reading this last Friday on the first day of our power outage in Western NC during Hurricane Helene. I was so absorbed in these wonderful stories that I read half of the book on my back porch while the storm whipped my trees back & forth and even snapped a big one in half.
This book means even more me now that I’ve seen soooooo many trees down in our area. The landscape is forever changed. But I wonder what kind of new trees will appear?! I think it might be time for me to start a collection.
Thanks for creating such a wonderful book to get me through the storm 🌳♥️
Hope to see you at Politics & Prose!
Oh great! Looking forward to it!
I am so happy that the Arnold Arboretum is in your book tour plan! TY
That one’s a virtual event (on Zoom) but it hope to see you there!
Congratulations on the new book! I’m looking forward to reading it. Hope to catch you at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park.
Oh great! That’s always one of my best book tour stops.
What a wonderful post and a terrific endeavor! I can’t wait to read your book.
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy it
Are you planning on making it to the east coast?
Miami and DC are on there so far, and more to come!
Oh I must have missed them🙄. I'll keep checking. Hoping for Boston🤞.
I am really looking forward to your new book! I wonder if you talked with the California fig tree collectors? They search out and save wild trees. Ever since reading about them, my husband has been obsessed with fig trees, figs and making fig jam. Fortunately, one of our sons has a green fig tree in his yard, but hubby has a few varieties of figs germinating on our back deck. I forgot to mention that we don’t have a yard to plant them in. It will be pots for a while and then ??.
There are so many fruit tree collectors! I did not talk to fig collectors, but I did talk to apple and persimmon collectors. Basically, if you're a tree collector, you probably collect oaks, maples, palm/tropical trees, or fruit trees. The reason those four are so popular is that there's such diversity, so a lot to collect!
I pre-ordered a copy and look forward to its arrival in the middle of summer. Perfect time to find some shade beneath a big tree and check it out!
There is absolutely nothing like fresh fig jam! It is my all time favorite. My mother used to water our neighbor’s neglected fig tree (with permission and the promise of fig jam) so that she could harvest the figs. That was back in Fredericksburg Texas when and where pretty much all neighbors were known family friends or relatives. I have two fig trees in my back garden, one Texas brown turkey and the other Kadota. Both suffered greatly during two extremely cold Texas winters and two extremely hot Texas summers. Much loved—-I talk to both——they are producing what could be a big crop this year. I am hopeful. A book recommendation: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.
What a great idea for a book! I've loved your Kopp sisters books, which is how I discovered from your website some time ago that you're also an artist. I liked the oil paintings you'd included on your site, so I started following you on Instagram. Your relaxed, constantly inventive style has been an inspiration to me. Which is all to say, thank you for introducing me to 'tree collecting.' I now realize I've known a couple myself. My father, at heart, was a carpenter and always aware of, and planting, trees. Many stories there, but moving on. In 2008 I saw a burr oak acorn - I was smitten, and had to have one. In my search for burr oaks, I learned they're native to the midwest and seldom found in my area, Virginia. I also learned there are several in a memorial park in Danville, and one in Elkton, Virginia where a man came for many years and collected the acorns! I got his name, his address (in my town!), called him and visited. Hoping to come home with an burr oak acorn. Turns out the caps of those acorns (and probably most types of acorns) fall off fairly quickly, and anyway he was more interested in planting them. Which he had done. All over the back yard of his standard size suburban residence. I came home without an acorn, but with 12 assorted small saplings he insisted I take with me, no charge. We planted them, with minimal results. However, the two survivors are both burr oaks - so maybe one day!!
Your new tree book looks and sounds interesting and fun. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Did you ever read A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry and illustrated by Marc Simont? It's a children's picture book. My great aunt bought me a copy when I was a small child several decades ago and I see that it is still in print! I remember loving it and looking at the pictures over and over...
Perfect gift for my tree collecting husband. He waters trees that the city plants and then leaves to die. He “unmarks” trees slated for destruction. And he pulls ignored vines off big trees to save them. We own 1/3 of an acre and he has planted 21 trees so far…
And I grew up in Danville, VA so I will have to go find the burr oaks.
What a cool idea for a book. Love your illustrations too. I look forward to reading it.
Would love to purchase a copy!
What a stunning book! Can't wait to read these stories soon.
I finally started reading this last Friday on the first day of our power outage in Western NC during Hurricane Helene. I was so absorbed in these wonderful stories that I read half of the book on my back porch while the storm whipped my trees back & forth and even snapped a big one in half.
This book means even more me now that I’ve seen soooooo many trees down in our area. The landscape is forever changed. But I wonder what kind of new trees will appear?! I think it might be time for me to start a collection.
Thanks for creating such a wonderful book to get me through the storm 🌳♥️