We have all sorts of blooming trees in our yard of various varieties that do their best to produce showy flowers and fruit. Mountain laurels, eve’s necklace, orchid tree, golden leadball, sumac, yaupon holly and a Carolina buckthorn. The latter is hitting its stride this year. It’s about chest high covered in little yellow-green flowers, that should turn into little red berries. That will be a sight to see. I wonder if the yaupon will notice and take umbrage. Probably not.

The birds will know, though, which is really the point, that and my son and I both think trees of all sorts do better when they have company. Little trees growing at their feet, big trees beside them, that sort of thing. The variety keeps the ground fresh, moves nutrients around, and is good for wildlife. We have a fox nearby a skunk or two, racoons, possums, and the ubiquitous armadillo, the latter helps keep the grounds grub free.

Speaking of company, I was with some last night. A group of friends gathered to hear a little music outside in the fresh breeze, underneath a few trees. It was a pre-show for the next two days of music at Waltstock and Barrell. During the show, I had a moment or two where the loss of my wife swept over me in a big wave as I sat in my chair. But from what I understand, that’s fairly normal, and luckily, it was dark, all eyes were on the stage, and no one could see the tears, so I didn’t cause a stir. Plus, I was surrounded by my own little diverse garden of friends who provide shade and comfort and feed my soul to help keep me going. Together, I think we might prevail.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale