Everyone, particularly in the Algarve, knows the legend of the almond trees in bloom. It's a legend that ends well. I will tell you the legend of the six almond trees. I advise the most sensitive souls not to read any further, because this legend ends badly.
Once upon a time there was a garden in my land. It's not really a garden, because it doesn't have palm trees, or grass, or irrigation system. There are species from here, such as the almond tree, the olive tree, the fig tree, the strawberry tree and some other green things that I don't know what they are because I don't understand much about trees and shrubs. I just like them, regardless of whether they drop leaves or serve as a shelter for the birds that litter the cars.
Because this kind of garden, located on the back of the City Hall, next to the football field and the municipal company, had an alignment of six almond trees, about 20 years old, but I don't know if, at this age, we can consider them new or old. .
In addition to the normal benefits that these (and all) trees provide, in environmental and aesthetic terms, they were much sought after by motorists to put their cars in the shade, which, with this heat around, was a preference factor in parking time.
Very recently, the pros of this tree stuff sealed off the parking lot next to six and started treating them with the chainsaw. I thought they were going to give them that radical treatment which is to cut everything down and leave only the trunk, hoping the trees don't survive. This is a technique that is used a lot down here, and when this happens, there are a number of people shouting that this is not how you do pruning, but, as I said, I don't know much about trees.
Days later, I passed by the place again – and the six almond trees had disappeared!!! They had been cut, without appeal or aggravation, close to the ground.
I immediately remembered a poster made by the children of the kindergarten near this garden that said: “Do you want rain? Plant trees!” Poor kids, they're still in that stage of innocence...
As I found out, the reason for the death certificate that was at the base of this raid was that “the trees were dry and sick”.
Being almond trees, used to our harsh summer climate, they could be dry, but a little water later in the winter was able to solve the situation. If, on the other hand, they were sick, could they not be treated?
I repeat that I don't know anything about trees and it seems to me that one of them was, in fact, dry. But arable euthanasia is imperative and the other five were by drag: you kill the patient, the venom (that is, the work of treating them) is over.
And so ends the legend of the six almond trees, with a sad end, but there are still twenty more almond trees in this garden. They should take care of themselves, if they don't run away they are still declared sick.
As I called it a legend, here's its definition, according to the books: "Legends often provide plausible, and to some extent acceptable, explanations for things that have no proven scientific explanation, such as mysterious or supernatural events."
Here are documented the remains of the six almond trees, as well as a “before” photo:
Comments