January; the time of year where one tends to make plans, set goals, and find direction for the next 365 days to come (or 359 at the time of this post – yikes). But what plans, goals, and direction should the Purple Polos set our course for? So many options, avenues and final destinations, all with their own pros, cons, and hefty to-do lists. First we look to our values – Stewardship, Habitat, Simplicity, and Community – to have a solid foundation to push off of into this new year. Then we survey our options… Twenty fifteen is the year of the sheep according to astrological calendars, Pantone predicts a Marsala hue for our annual color, Universal Pictures forecasts hover boards, self-drying coats and flying cars by October 27, and the Mayan’s believe we shouldn’t even be here. That’s quite a few things swirling around in the year ahead of us but the anchor we’ve landed on has its own extensive anchoring system – roots. Here at Kinghorn Gardens, 2015 isn’t the year of the sheep, but rather the year of the Signature Tree.

Signature Tree you ask? You’ve undoubtedly heard of a signature color, drink or dish, but a signature tree may be a foreign concept. It’s your landscape’s pièce de résistance. The show stopping arbor that draws attention, carries your theme, and most importantly provide solutions to your landscape problems, because that’s what plants are for right – solving problems. In the next 359 days we will be exploring different species of saplings that do just that.

One of the biggest problem we have that our signature trees can solve is scale. You know the saying “the sky’s the limit,” well that’s actually what causes issues in our garden. With the sky as our limit we feel small and exposed, great signature trees provide a natural roof enclosing our space and creating habitat. So you’re not just planting a tree but creating experiences, defining space and growing a solution. Coined “the people plant connection”, this is the relationship we strive to create in each of our gardens.

Over the next year we will be covering different species of Signature Trees through a series of blogs that provide solutions for scale, shade, protection, form, habitat, seasonal interest, color, and structure. To find trees that serve these areas it takes a keen eye and patience to observe what a seemingly simple tree truly provides. So join us in celebrating 2015, The Year of the Signature Tree and search for a solution to grow in your own backyard.