Althouse: "The Czech Republic’s Guardian of the Flooded Village pine is this year’s winner of the prestigious European Tree of the Year award..."

March 17, 2020

"The Czech Republic’s Guardian of the Flooded Village pine is this year’s winner of the prestigious European Tree of the Year award..."

"... with Croatia’s Ginkgo from Daruvar securing the second and Russia’s Lonely Poplar the third place" (The Guardian).

Photographs and stories of some wonderful trees.

Good for the soul.

These trees will help you, maybe a bit like the Guardian of the Flooded Village protected Chudobín, during the construction of the Vír dam when, they say, a devil sat under it at night, playing the violin.

We have some guardian trees in our neighborhood. I've been writing from a second-story sunroom overlooking the street, and through the trees I have seen neighbors walking border collies and young boys on roller skates. I have yet to see the devil or even anyone playing a violin, but there was a carpenter within earshot, singing in a beautiful voice.

24 comments:

Curious George said...: "...but there was a carpenter within earshot, singing in a beautiful voice."

Did you hire these guys?; 3/17/20, 1:54 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: There's no such thing as a bad tree.; 3/17/20, 2:25 PM
Anonymous said...: I love trees. Underneath it all beats the heart of an atavistic tree-worshipper.

They will help you. But avoid pissing off the resident dryad.

Have you ever seen Thomas Pakenham's tree books? You might enjoy them.; 3/17/20, 2:30 PM
tcrosse said...: Or maybe you hired These Guys?; 3/17/20, 2:41 PM
Temujin said...: I love trees. I am constantly tree-watching wherever I go around this country. I am always in awe of how beautiful they are (or can be). And when aged, they take on a look of imposing importance, as many of those shown in the article clearly do. That Ginkgo from Croatia is spectacular!; 3/17/20, 2:54 PM
FWBuff said...: Lovely post and great pictures in the link. We were in Charleston last month (BCV)and saw the Angel Oak there, which is an enormous live oak tree thought to be 400-500 years old. It's incredible to contemplate all the storms these trees have weathered and all the history they have witnessed.; 3/17/20, 3:17 PM
Tomcc said...: A carpenter, huh? Probably not Karen.; 3/17/20, 3:26 PM
Lurker21 said...: No comment from Yggdrasil yet ...; 3/17/20, 3:28 PM
Big Mike said...: It has to be spring. The ice cream truck just went past playing "Music Box Dancer". I will hear that tune often between now and September.; 3/17/20, 3:37 PM
rehajm said...: Guardian of the Flooded Village? Some guardian. Thanks for nothing...; 3/17/20, 3:38 PM
tam said...: So what is a "multisecular tree"? There is an multisecular oak and a multisecular fir in the contestants.; 3/17/20, 3:56 PM
Wa St Blogger said...: ... I have seen neighbors walking border collies and young boys on roller skates.

I wonder how walking young boys on roller skates works. More difficult than a border collie who smells a rival dog nearby, I'd bet. Careful when jerking them back if they get too much head. Pad their bottoms, just in case...; 3/17/20, 3:59 PM
Earnest Prole said...: See also Thomas Pakenham’s Meetings with Remarkable Trees -- you can pick up a used copy on abe.com for practically nothing.; 3/17/20, 3:59 PM
Tomcc said...: I, too, love trees. I grew up in western PA and now live in the Pacific NW. I remember the first time I flew into Phoenix and I saw the SW from the air: lots of brown. Doesn't inspire my poetic side.; 3/17/20, 4:16 PM
Clyde said...: Charlie Daniels was not available for comment.; 3/17/20, 4:48 PM
Narr said...: I wonder how many of those trees were introduced species-- the younger ones particularly.

IANA botanist but Gingko is not native to Croatia, I'm pretty sure. Not that I'm complaining--the photos and settings are beautiful.

Narr
Any Calvino fans here? "Ottimo Massimo" ring a bell?; 3/17/20, 6:36 PM
Shane said...: Great post. Thank you for the link.
My grandfather was a tree-measurer throughout New Jersey and Philadelphia area, from Brigantine to Lancaster in the 1960-70's, we spent many a Saturday in the pleasure of each other's company.; 3/17/20, 6:38 PM
Bob Boyd said...: there was a carpenter within earshot, singing in a beautiful voice.

What was he singing?; 3/17/20, 7:17 PM
Ann Althouse said...: @bob Boyd

He was singing the “Toreador Song” from “Carmen.”; 3/17/20, 7:24 PM
tcrosse said...: He was singing the “Toreador Song” from “Carmen.”

in French?; 3/17/20, 7:34 PM
Bob Boyd said...: Wow.
I was going to guess, 'If I had a hammer'; 3/17/20, 7:38 PM
Ann Althouse said...: “ in French?”

Kind of a humming singing, maybe not with actual words.; 3/17/20, 9:24 PM
Ann Althouse said...: @bob Boyd

LOL; 3/17/20, 9:25 PM
tcrosse said...: Kind of a humming singing, maybe not with actual words.

So, French.; 3/18/20, 7:59 AM