Live Oaks at Fort Monroe

     Recently my friend Marilyn, who blogs at Adventures of a Vagabond Volunteer, came for a quick visit. She primarily wanted to see the garden where I work, and the lantern show that is currently going on there. The next day I took her to Fort Monroe, which has become a favorite place for me to show out-of-towners. A couple of summers ago I went there to photograph crapemyrtles for a Bloom Day post, but on this trip I wanted to focus on the place's many live oaks (Quercus virginiana). The southeastern corner of Virginia is the most northerly home for this species, and the tree's presence creates a landscape distinctly different from the rest of the state, one more like that of places much further south. My first childhood awareness of this tree was seeing contorted specimens growing among the dunes as as we traveled through Ocean View on the way to my grandparents'. I was struck by the way they all grew in the same direction, being shaped by the prevailing winds coming from the bay. My next live oak encounters occurred when I moved to Norfolk to attend school. There was a particularly large specimen near my dorm which could be easily climbed for solitary contemplation, or for an entire council of folks engaged in heady discussions. My love for this species was sealed when Charleston became my home. There a slightly warmer climate allows these trees to assume their full potential, and Spanish moss draped over their branches adds magic, mystery, and animation. Asked what my favorite tree is, most days I would say live oak, on others it might be bald cypress, one or the other or both.

     As we were leaving Fort Monroe, I wanted to show Marilyn the nearby Emancipation Oak, which is one of the largest and oldest live oaks in Virginia. Before the Civil War it was illegal in Virginia to teach slaves to read and write. During the war the Union General William Butler declared fugitive slaves "contraband", who would never have to be returned to their owners. As a result Union held Fort Monroe became a magnet for African Americans fleeing slavery, and under the shade of this very oak many were taught to read and write for the first time. The tree was also witness to the very first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in the South, hence its name. Every time I see this tree, my eyes fill with excess moisture.

     For some scale, look for Marilyn in the photo below.

Winter Walk-Off 2015

     Happy, happy, joy, joy! Winter will be over, at least officially, in just one month. Here at A Tidewater Gardener we celebrate the occasion with a Winter Walk-Off meme, and this year will mark five years. For those of you who aren't familiar with my little challenge, this is a way to encourage all bloggers to rise from the couch, cast off that musty Afghan, grab a camera, and get out of the house to show the rest of us what their part of the planet looks like.

As always, the rules are simple, the rules are flexible:

On your own two feet, leave the house, and share what can be seen within walking (or biking) distance of your home (if you want to drive to your walk destination that's OK too). Your post does not have to be about gardening or a travelogue (though I do like both), unless you want it to be. Maybe instead you will find some unusual patterns, interesting shadows, signs of spring, a favorite restaurant or shop, questionable landscaping, or local eyesores. Whatever, just keep your eyes and mind open, be creative, and have fun, but don't show anything from your own garden.

Post your own Winter Walk-Off on your blog, and link it back to this post. Also, please leave me a link and comment here when your post is up. If you have recently written something similar, you are welcome to recycle.

I will keep the challenge open until midnight on March 19th, the last day of winter (or summer for those of you below the equator, who are welcome to join in).

Everyone who participates will have a chance to win one of two prizes, and a totally disinterested teenager will randomly draw the winning names. One lucky participant will win something very special (at least it's special to me), a fossil of Chesapecten jeffersonius, which is over 4 million years old. This is the state fossil of Virginia, honoring both the Chesapeake Bay and Thomas Jefferson. The not-as-lucky winner will receive a small framed print of some subject of my choosing, and if the winner doesn't like the image, then I hope they like the frame. I will contact each winner, and mail the prizes after the Walk-Off is over. 

I hope these guidelines are simple enough for you to consider joining in, because the more, the merrier.

*****

     Now on to my own Winter Walk-Off, which is actually my second this year. My first took place this past Saturday in Willoughby Spit, a little beachfront community precariously built on a large sandbar here in Norfolk. However, the wind was bitter cold, and between that, and my two unruly dogs, it was not the best photo expedition. Regardless, I was prepared to share those photos with you, when low and behold, we got a snow day on Tuesday. So I took advantage of the better photo ops, and bundled up for a walk down to the river. Along the way I was distracted by the bark on this crapemyrtle (probably Lagerstroemia x  'Natchez').

     I saw two things on my walk I have never seen here before: snowboards on a local car's roof rack, and the Lafayette River nearly frozen from one side to the other.

     My favorite kayak launch was concealed by a treacherously thick coat of ice and snow, but as much as I look forward to my next trip, it was not quite paddling-friendly weather.

    Rounding the corner, I followed the shoreline of Knitting Mill Creek. The foolhardy might be tempted to cross the ice; this body of water was frozen from one side to the other. Some are frightened by bears, others by heights. Me, I am afraid of falling through ice.

     There are several live oaks (Quercus virginiana) planted along the shore. With light reflecting up from the snow at their feet, the normally dark interiors of their crowns had a bit of a glow.

     During a misguided period, the city discouraged live oak plantings (thankfully no longer), and for a time London planes (Platanus × acerifolia) were planted along the water. I like two things about these trees: their bark, and their shadows cast on Tuesday's snow.

     There has been much talk in the gardening blogosphere about learning to appreciate what each season has to offer. With this in mind, I do hope you will make the best of your given circumstances, and join in my Winter Walk-Off this year. As for me, and as much as these wintry scenes might be lovely, I'm beyond ready for warmer weather.

Savannah Respite

Our recent vacation plans necessitated a long drive south, and the halfway point was about Savannah, Georgia.  I had been here several times before and think its combination of architecture, history, parks and gardens make it one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in the country.  Unfortunately we only had one night in town, not enough to do it justice, but a short time in Savannah is better than no time. On our way to dinner we drove by Forsyth Park as the sun was going down and the late light was beautiful, even if the other weather elements were not.  The park and the entire city is framed by and watched over by a canopy of moss-draped live oaks (Quercus virginiana).  This species is one of my favorite trees, and they define Savannah the way Paris is defined by the Eiffel Tower.  Even though they are named for Virginia, they will not reach there full potential, stature and presence here like they do further down the coast.  I didn't ask, but politely told my wife and son that dinner would have to wait until after I had taken some pictures in the park.

We parked the car on Forsyth's northern boundary, right in front of this home, one of Savannah's many beautiful structures.  If you are in the market for a new or second residence, this 5 bedroom, 6 bath townhouse was recently on the market for a mere 5.5 million dollars.  Click here for more photos.

Across the street, the oaks were giving up a bit of their shade to people out for a stroll, joggers, dog walkers and bench sitters.

The oaks also bear witness to much of what goes on in Savannah.

The centerpiece of the park is a large confection of a fountain that has been here since the 1850's. Between its waters and the shade of the oaks, this is were the people of Savannah and weary travellers can get a little respite from a long, hot and humid day.

The Emancipation Oak

I have always admired Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana), but they became one of my favorite trees years ago while I was living outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Even though their botanical name indicates they are found here in Virginia, they only grow in a limited part, the southeastern corner of the state where they are at their northern limit. In Charleston and other parts of the South these trees reach a physical stature they will never attain here, and in the Lowcountry they are as integral to the cultural and natural landscape as sky, marsh and water. There the branches are home to Resurrection Ferns (Polypodium polypodioides), and the trees are draped with Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) giving the look of unkempt, but wise old sages.

There is one local specimen (pictured in this post) of Live Oak that while not the largest or oldest in the country, is perhaps the most historically important, and it could easily be argued is one of the nations most significant living trees of any species. I am speaking of the Emancipation Oak in Hampton, Virginia. It is located perilously close to Interstate 64 where millions of people pass it yearly (more often waiting in traffic), unaware of what is on the other side of the guardrail.

Prior to the Civil War it was forbidden in Virginia to teach slaves how to read and write, but that did not stop Mary Smith Peake a free woman of color from teaching in her home. In 1861 the fleeing Confederate forces burned the city of Hampton as they left, and most buildings did not survive, including Peake's home. That same year General Benjamin Butler of nearby Union-held Fort Monroe declared that slaves were now "contraband" of war and would not be returned to their former owners. As a result slaves flooded into the area for their first taste of freedom and set up encampments beyond the fort walls. With few buildings left in the city, Peak educated children and adults sheltered by this already large Live Oak. Under the shade of this same tree in 1863 newly freed African Americans heard the first reading in the South of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, and hence the tree's name.

Shortly after the Civil War a school was founded on this site whose roots began with this tree and would later grow into Hampton University. It is one of the nation's oldest historically black universities, and among many noted former students is Booker T. Washington. The Emancipation Oak still thrives on campus and its canopy now covers about 100' of ground. The trunk itself is 9-10' from side to side and many of its long branches touch the ground, some of which are cabled for support. Though not as tall as it is wide, if you were to climb to the top, you would be able to see nearby Old Point Comfort the home of Fort Monroe, jutting into Hampton Roads harbor. Ironically it was at that site in 1619 that the first Africans were brought here, against their will, to what would become the United States. They were on board a Dutch ship and were traded with the English in exchange for food and safe harbor. Although I could find no reference as to how old the Emancipation Oak is, I want to think it was a mere acorn in 1619.

My impetus for writing this post came from several sources. First of all as said earlier, Live Oaks are one of my favorite trees; I wanted to see this storied specimen for myself; it is Black History Month in the United States; and I am still delightfully trying to wrap my brain around the two words "President Obama" and all of the events that brought us to this place in time. I also wanted to create a post and submit it to the Festival of Trees, a "monthly blog carnival devoted to all things arboreal" I discovered by visiting Local Ecologist who will be hosting February's event at the end of the month.