Still surviving, my pet tree

Some years back I ordered, from a little catalog, a strip of something with inserted flower seeds. All one has to do is lay it down in the flower bed and water it. I can do that. I am not too handy when it comes to planting little seeds. They allow me to water them, though. The little strip of seeds – pansies – sprouted right on time and their pretty little faces, all identical, so lovely. Suddenly, I am sure those pansies were shocked to see a strange spear-like green "thing". I felt sorry for the intruder. It must have felt so out of place alongside those perfect pansies. I asked one of my sons to transplant the little spear to see what it would become, if anything.

My, how happy my little plant was. No doubt happy to be free from being compared with those perfect pansies. It must have been comfortable in its own pot for it grew rapidly and soon was in need of a new residence. My son, who has a green thumb, moved the little immigrant into a larger home; a bigger pot.

After a few months I knew it was not a flower; it looked almost like a baby tree. It WAS a tree! I had saved a tree from those pansies. I did not know its name, yet but my son and I watched it carefully. Finally, it needed more foot (root) room and we decided it was too big for a bigger pot but needed a permanent home. My front yard has five trees so it was planted in the back yard where only a pine and cottonwood live.

I went to the garden place and asked what to do to keep the gophers from eating the little tree. He had just what I needed. It is still out there and just as happy as it was the day I rescued it from the pansies. We planted it just a "mite" too close to a framework we put up to cover a patio. If necessary, we'll get rid of the framework. I never sit out there anyway.

Still, what to name my tree. I went to the gardener with a leaf and he said it was a maple. A maple tree. All the way from Wisconsin; the location from which I had ordered the pansies. It has been a good many years since my "Pet Tree" had come to live here. It is as high as the house now. It's very nice and requires no maintenance and is happy; and so am I.