Plant a tree for Tom Spencer
Were it not for Tom Spencer, longtime host of Austin-based PBS television show Central Texas Gardener, public speaker, and environmental advocate, I may never have fallen in love with agaves, planted my first whale’s tongue agave, or known and shared the joy of Moby. Tom planted lots of agaves and showed off their spiky, muscular beauty on his groundbreaking blog Soul of the Garden (no longer online), and my eyes were opened.
Were it not for Tom, I may never have begun blogging. Back in 2005, I awaited each new blog post from Soul of the Garden, drinking in his gorgeous photos and thoughtful musings about gardening, and absorbing design lessons as he created his dream garden. Wanting to join the conversation begun by early garden blogs like Tom’s, I launched Digging in 2006.
Were it not for Tom, I might not have begun designing gardens, starting with my own and eventually making a career of it for about 7 years. As a stay-at-home mom who’d stepped back from editorial work in publishing, I surprised myself by falling in love with gardening and then design, inspired by Tom’s own designs, classes he taught, and his weekly interviews with designers, gardeners, and plant people as host of Central Texas Gardener. The day Tom first interviewed me on the show felt like coming full circle.
Were it not for Tom, I wouldn’t have been as effective a writer or speaker, or as motivated to improve my photography. Tom has a gift for communication, and he showed me through his many public talks, including an excellent one for Garden Spark, how to be a better, more engaging speaker myself. However, my preferred mode is writing and photography, and once again his Soul of the Garden was a daily lesson in creating meaningful and beautiful content that engages with fellow garden lovers.
All this is to say that Tom has been a tremendously positive influence on my life as a gardener and garden communicator, more so than he would ever guess.
Tom Spencer Million Trees for Austin Fund
Last September Tom suffered a serious stroke, in an instant removed from his public roles and advocacy work and thrown into a personal struggle for recovery. He has difficulty speaking right now, and yet he continues to make his voice heard, thanks to a recent article in the Austin American-Statesman. And his message is, Plant trees!
Only a few months before his stroke, Tom was named executive director of TreeFolks, an Austin nonprofit focused on urban tree planting to offset some of the effects of climate change. While Tom has had to step down from that role, he’s still able to have an impact. In his Statesman interview, he promotes the Tom Spencer Million Trees for Austin Fund, a TreeFolks initiative to plant one million more trees in Austin. “These millions of trees will stand as part of Tom’s legacy, to be celebrated now and by generations to come,” according to its website.
TreeFolks says the fundraiser is a collaborative, regional effort that will:
- Rally our many businesses, government, nonprofit, and individual partners around a shared goal in Central Texas — planting a million trees or more, for our planet and for our communities.
- Advance the nation’s first large-scale pilot project using local tree planting to generate carbon off-set credits.
- Enhance Austin’s urban tree canopy through the aggressive expansion of TreeFolks’ on-going tree planting and tree adoption programs.
- Support an extensive tree planting and tree care public information campaign directed at select audiences and the general public.
- Enable large-scale planting efforts that will restore native woodlands along highly degraded streams that flow through the Blackland Prairies and are tributaries of the Colorado River in Eastern Travis County and Bastrop County.
- Build additional organizational capacity for TreeFolks and our partners by providing the infrastructure and equipment needed to accomplish this goal.
- Establish the groundwork for multi-year funding to expand this million-tree effort by initiating new partnerships with public entities to utilize reforestation as a nature-based solution to flooding.
In honor of all that Tom has taught me, and in recognition of his years of public service, I’ve donated to the Tom Spencer Million Trees for Austin Fund. I hope you will consider making a donation too. Let’s make him proud!
__________________________
Digging Deeper
Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!
All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
A sad but encouraging post today, Pam. I regularly watched his program here in Brenham. He always conveyed a genuine interest in his guests and the topic at hand. Hope he continues to improve and wishing him all the best. Thanks for linking his website so we can revisit all those great episodes.
You’re welcome, Janelle!
I lived in Austin for years as an Air Force wife. I remember Tom on PBS. After we moved I continued to check out Soul of the Garden online multi times a week. So sorry to here about his stroke. I would love to let him know how much he is loved. Hope he will know he is prayed for. He has so much to give the world.
Thanks for your comment, Daisy. I hope Tom will be reading the comments here to see how much he is loved.
This is so lovely. I too learned gardening from Tom Spencer and would be honored to honor him. I have planted 40 native trees in my new garden, but there is always room for more. The next ones are for Tom. Thank you for sharing this.
Forty native trees in your new garden already, Colleen! I’m so keen to see what it’s like once the pandemic is over. 🙂 Thanks for planting your next one for Tom.
I learned the sad news of Tom Spencer’s stroke a few weeks ago. I followed the creation of his beautiful garden on his blog Soul of the Garden and looked forward to his always enlightening posts . It was so inspirational.
I live in Denton, but my daughter lives in Austin. Before this awful plague I was planning to install a garden for her, ripping up a lawn and planting natives. You can be sure that when I finally get down there a tree will be planted for Tom.
That’s great to hear, Gretchen!
Pam, thank you for letting us know about this great tribute to Tom. Even though I live in San Antonio I too will plant a tree in his honor and pray for him whenever I water it! Hugs to you!
That’s wonderful, Melody. Thanks for commenting, and hope you’re doing well!
I read his story in the paper this weekend. He’s just amazing and inspiring. Nice tribute.
Thanks. I’m so glad he and his family and associates were willing to be interviewed for the article in order to get out the word about the TreeFolks fundraiser AND share all the wonderful work that Tom has done for our community.
Perhaps Tom cannot fathom the number of people he has influenced in life as well as in gardening. He has certainly been an inspiration to me, personally. I saw the very first Central Texas Gardener that was aired and followed religiously – to the annoyance of a friend or two when I would say, “No, that’s when Central Texas Gardener is on.” (That was back in the day and I finally got a recorder!) I also followed his blog Soul of the Garden. So I will plant two trees for Tom in recognition for all the life and gardening lessons learned and all the smiles and joy and hard-earned victories in our gardens that came our way from him over the years. To your return to good and perfect health, Tom, and thank you for who you will always be.
Wonderfully said, Sandy. And I’m sure he’d be happy to hear about your tree planting! By the way, all the episodes of CTG can be streamed online these days, so you don’t even need to record them anymore. I always watch them on my computer. 🙂
Yes, I’ve watched on my computer for years, now. So glad that they’re available. I’ve come full circle. Haven’t owned a tv/vcr in years! ha (and don’t miss cable & commercials in the least!)
Thank you for this tribute. My family moved away from Austin in 1954 when I was 10, but memories of the oaks, the junipers, the wonderful shade at Deep Eddy Park pool, and exploring the dusty lot next to UT’s Deep Eddy grad student housing amongst oaks and fallen leaves—all are so vivid. It’s wonderful to be able to contribute to planting more trees, especially in honor of this exceptional man.
The memories of a childhood spent outdoors are vivid indeed. I have many of my own from my childhood in upstate South Carolina. Thanks for contributing to the tree-planting effort, Nancy!
This is a wonderful tribute! I’m only aware of Tom Spencer based on my occasional views of Central Texas Gardener but, every time I watched, I wondered why we don’t have someone like him on hand to lead a program for SoCal gardeners. Best wishes with the tree=planting campaign!
Thanks, Kris! Austin has been blessed with incredibly talented gardening advocates and public personalities. I look forward to seeing who from younger generations will step up to take their place, as time goes on, and continue their work.
I wish someone would start this here. All that seems to happen here is people cutting g down trees.
Maybe TreeFolks will expand to all 50 states one day. I hope so! They are a wonderful organization.
I’ve seen Tom in the few Central Texas Gardener episodes I’ve watched online, he had a definite talent for making his guests feel at ease and bringing out the best they had to offer. Your words are a lovely tribute.
He’s always been wonderful at that, Loree. It’s a gift. BTW, I hope when your book comes out you’re able to book an appearance on Central Texas Gardener. Gardening fearlessly has huge relevance for this part of the country, and Linda produces terrific shows with authors!
What a sweet post for dear, dear Tom.
Being an official tree-hugging dirt-worshiper myself, this warms my heart. I had no idea he’d taken the reins at TF! LOVE them.
I wish him a speedy recovery.
Thank you, Pam (who, in turn, have inspired me and so many others!)
Michele, thanks for the lovely comment! Hope you’re doing well. I still miss your blog. 🙂
Paul Parker I have planted a live oak in his name on my sisters property in Houston Texas. I wish Tom the best.
That’s wonderful, Paul. May it grow tall and strong.
Pam – Thank you again for your beautiful tribute to Tom! The responses that you have received bring me to tears. Tom is on a journey and is stubbornly and literally putting one foot at a time in his recovery process. Tom’s rehab insurance ran out and he has a new address. If you do not mind I am putting it here so if Tom’s friends want to send him a card I know he would love it!
Tom Spencer #209
Auberge Assisted Living
14058A Bee Cave Parkway
Bee Cave, TX 78738
Thank you for the update, Diana. I’m glad to know his new address and am sure many others are too. All good wishes for Tom’s ongoing recovery!
Thank you Pam for this wonderful tribute to Tom. I grew to love & appreciate him over my years of designing landscales in Austin. I remember his bare new garden whith no trees. Look how beautiful it is now! Recently looking at a memory posted by my facebook friend Tom, I wondered why he wasn’t posting anymore. So sorry to hear he’s been so ill but happy to know he’s still in the fight. He might be one of the gentlest men I’ve had the privilege if knowing. I know his contributions to our art & community are sorely missed.
Like you, I was very sorry to hear about Tom’s health struggles but am glad to share the news about the fundraiser at TreeFolks in his honor. I hope Austin answers the call to help with the tree-planting cause Tom has championed.
I’m sorry to hear of Tom’s stroke and hope for his thorough recovery! I remember his old blog, but mostly I enjoyed how skilled of an interviewer he was for me and all the other episodes of CTG that I enjoyed.
He’s a man of many talents, in writing, photography, public speaking, leadership, and yes, in conducting engaging interviews too.
Thank you. So glad to hear how Tom is doing. We’ll keep him in our thoughts and prayers!
Having recently discovered you, I am reading back through your posts. I lived the first 31 years of my life in Austin & now live in northeast Texas. I somehow found Tom’s blog many years ago and found a wealth of information which spiritually fed me. His site was the place that I discovered Mary Oliver’s poetry and that in itself has immeasurably enriched my life. I am saddened to learn of his stroke & hope that the healing powers of nature will continue to nurture him.