Celebrate The New Year Of Trees

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Sunday, February 8th, you can celebrate the New Year of Trees, from 1 to 3 at the Morris Arboretum with music for kids as well as a chance to learn about trees, and pot up a seedling to take home, plant in the ground and watch it grow.

This Jewish holiday is a traditional time to count the trees and see how they're doing, and it's a nice reminder to take stock of what's growing around you too. Since it's a lot warmer in Israel this time of year than it is here, you may not be ready to take inventory in your own garden just yet. But it is smart to take time in the weeks ahead before everything leafs out to see how your trees are doing.

Look for signs of disease on branches or bark. Do you see any crossed branches that need pruning out or broken ones to trim back for safety? And if you have older trees, look for places nearby to plant young replacements so that when a dying tree does have to come down, you won't have a bare spot there.

So, mark your calendar to find a day to celebrate the trees in your yard by taking a walk to see how they're doing.