Each time I visit my son's campus I am enchanted by the poplar trees dominating the landscaping. And on every visit, I find lots of changes-probably because the gardeners are super-enthusiastic and so creative. They're constantly working among the plants on the vast campus.
I still remember the first time I visited-there were huge patches of multi-colored flower bushes in one corner. From the main gate there was almost half a kilometer of bougainvillea in brilliant purple. Then the next time, bright yellow marigold flowers ruled the campus, along with red and orange.
The one thing that has remained constant, though, are the poplar trees. How enchanting they are! They are all over the campus and look simply gorgeous.
For this edition of Thursday Tree Love hosted by Parul, I am showing off some photos of these poplar trees.
Apparently, there are thirty unique species of the genus Populus and it is quite popular in landscaping. It grows really fast and tall. The leaves are a gorgeous green in summer and almost gold in autumn.
The peacocks and cranes on campus can be seen enjoying nature as much as we do.
It is lovely to walk among them especially in winter. The ground is layered with the dry leaves and the trees themselves whisper constantly in the breeze.
Some fun facts about the poplar tree
Just because I looked that up when I tried to find out the name of this pretty tree.
- Early renaissance Italian art was painted on poplar wood. The famous Mona Lisa is painted on poplar wood!
- Stringed instruments such as violas and harps often use poplar wood as the main structural component.
- If you enjoy Greek mythology, Heracles/Hercules wore a crown of poplar leaves when he led Cerberus from Hades. Cerberus was the three-headed hound with the tail of a serpent, a mane of snakes and the claws of a lion. It guarded the gates of the underworld. Retrieving Cerberus was one of the 12 labors of Heracles. The poplar tree denotes endurance and conquest.
- According to the Celtics, the poplar is associated with transformation, vision and victory.
- The poplar also means the talking, whispering and quivering tree.
More photos of the beautiful Poplar Trees
Against the blue sky. What a sight!
I almost toppled over trying to get the full height of the tree! And yes, limped a little for a couple of days! Felt very sheepish though! That spot is a lovely spot to sit in and enjoy the sunshine in winter, watching the world go by.
Another part of the campus where the poplars are dense. The constant breeze makes them rustle and whisper and it is beautiful to just stand there and listen.
In the evening, against the horizon, this patch of poplars look as if they are on fire.
Yes, I am besotted with this tree. Just looking at these photos makes me feel like I am on a mini-vacation. Such a happy place, such a soothing feeling.
I feel slightly sad that when my son completes his course in a few months, I won't have the opportunity to visit the campus as much as I have been during the last four-and-a-half-years. So grateful for the experience, though.
Here's a lovely poem about the Poplar Tree by William Cowper
The Poplar Field
William Cowper (1731-1800)
THE Poplars are fell'd, farewell to the shade
And the whispering sound of the cool colonnade;
The winds play no longer and sing in the leaves,
Nor Ouse on his bosom their image receives.
Twelve years have elapsed since I first took a view
Of my favourite field, and the bank where they grew:
And now in the grass behold they are laid,
And the tree is my seat that once lent me a shade.
The blackbird has fled to another retreat
Where the hazels afford him a screen from the heat;
And the scene where his melody charm'd me before
Resounds with his sweet-flowing ditty no more.
My fugitive years are all hasting away,
And I must ere long lie as lowly as they,
With a turf on my breast and a stone at my head,
Ere another such grove shall arise in its stead.
'Tis a sight to engage me, if anything can,
To muse on the perishing pleasures of man;
Short-lived as we are, our enjoyments, I see,
Have a still shorter date; and die sooner than we.
