Current co-owners Colin, from left, and Evan Christensen stand beside previous owners John Christensen and Leland Brozovsky in the greenhouse at Oak Creek Plants & Flowers. The business is celebrating 50 years.
As early as they can remember, Evan and Colin Christensen were running around their jungle — the 10,000-square-foot greenhouse at Oak Creek Plants & Flowers in Lincoln.
Kelley Olsen, who has been working with for the Christensen family at Oak Creek Plants & Flowers since 1986, places plants on a shelf while readying them for sale. The store got its start in 1976 and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
What is Arbor Day? Here's the meaning behind day for trees
It literally means tree day
The Latin word for tree is arbor. True to its name, Arbor Day celebrates the preservation and planting of trees.
Nixon recognized it as a holiday
In 1972, former President Richard Nixon declared National Arbor Day to be celebrated on the last Friday in April. However, some states have designated different dates to ensure the trees are planted at the best time for growth.
"The planting of trees is an action that yields a long-range benefit on generations to come," Nixon, who created the Environmental Protection Agency, wrote in his proclamation. "Arbor Day uniquely symbolizes the truth that the earth belongs to every generation, not just ours."
Arbor Day started in Nebraska
Nebraska was the first U.S. state in the US to observe it as a formal holiday in 1872. However, the Arbor Day Foundation, based in Nebraska, says "tree planting festivals are as old as civilization."
In 1872, Julius Sterling Morton, a newspaper editor and former U.S. secretary of agriculture, submitted a resolution to Nebraska's State Board of Agriculture to set aside one day dedicated to planting trees. After the board passed the resolution, more than one million trees were planted on the first official celebration of the day on April 10, 1872.
Morton and his wife sought to plant trees in Nebraska to increase the amount of shade from the hot prairie sun. Trees also served as windbreaks, fuel and building materials.
Today, trees provide wildlife habitat, erosion control and natural beauty, the Arbor Day Foundation says.
Current co-owners Colin, from left, and Evan Christensen stand beside previous owners John Christensen and Leland Brozovsky in the greenhouse at Oak Creek Plants & Flowers. The business is celebrating 50 years.
Kelley Olsen, who has been working with for the Christensen family at Oak Creek Plants & Flowers since 1986, places plants on a shelf while readying them for sale. The store got its start in 1976 and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
