The Best Time to Plant a Tree

Contrary to what many believe, the “Forrest” in Forrest Hills is not a reference to the trees that line the streets of Augusta’s stately old neighborhood. Forrest is a nod to Forrest Adair, father of Frank Adair, the Atlanta real estate mogul who partnered with our founders George Blanchard and Francis Calhoun to develop Forrest Hills Estates and the Forrest-Ricker Hotel in the 1920s.

The trio worked with S. Herbert Hare, an urbane Harvard trained landscape architect, to transform what had been the grounds of a World War I military encampment into the beautiful urban forest it is today, planting hundreds of Darlington oak saplings along Park Avenue, Bransford, Buena Vista, Lombardy, Lake Forest, and the other streets of Forrest Hills. Quercus hemisphaerica, first described by William Bartram on his travels through Georgia in the late 1770s, was a good choice for Augusta’s pioneering new development. They are fast growing and semi-evergreen; but, Darlington oaks are also short-lived.

As more and more of the original oaks planted by Blanchard and Calhoun reach the end of their natural lifespan, our company is committed to ensuring that our founders’ vision of pleasant tree-lined streets lives on – not simply in Forrest Hills, but in Olde Towne, in Harrisburg, and throughout Augusta.

As the old proverb goes, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is now. Check out the best tips for planting trees below.