BENTONVILLE, Ark. — It's hard to miss the rainbow of trees in Northwest Arkansas. They fill the forest, neighborhoods, and the yard of Bentonville resident Jason Vella.
"I somehow find a little spot on each of the little corners, but we've got, you know, weeping willows, as I say different types of maples, dogwoods, red buds, and a number of others," Vella said.
Vella moved to Northwest Arkansas from Australia after meeting his wife in New Zealand. He fell in love with the Ozarks and Northwest Arkansas' nature. As a climate advocate, he decided to share his love of trees by growing seedlings in his backyard.
Vella started with a red maple in his backyard.
"I put it on to Facebook marketplace just for a free tree, a free red maple," he said. "Within 30 minutes, I had 25 people reaching out for this red maple."
Vella said he discussed the issue with his brother in Australia. They concluded that if he sold trees at $5, the owners would take better care of the plants. As a climate advocate and tree lover, he made it a hobby and set a goal of selling 1,000 trees in his first year.
"We thought that was very unreasonable, very unattainable," he said. "And so for us to eclipse that to get to 1,500 in the first year, was a bit of a shock."
In three years, Vella has sold 7,000 trees and all of them have come through his yard. He propagates trees and grows their seedlings in his backyard. He then sells them in his front yard once they've matured for a year.
"My wife is very patient with me," Vella said jokingly.
Although Vella said the hobby can be a struggle at times, he continues to love doing it.
"It's always just where I can actually find a spare five or 10 minutes, and put a few more trees in pots and make sure that the front is stocked up is an ongoing kind of struggle that I have, but it's one that I just really love and enjoy. And so when you love and enjoy something, it just kind of comes to life," he said.
Peter Adams had recently moved to Northwest Arkansas and wanted to fill his property with trees so that he could see their blooms year-round.
"I think it's incredible," Adams said. "The ornamental is you're gonna spend, even though they're great trees, you're gonna spend like $170 to $290 per tree."
All money made through the project is donated back to the community. Vella explains that they spent three years as a foster family and saw the growing need for resources for the community firsthand.
His daughters helped him pick Project Zero along with women's and children's shelters in the area as beneficiaries.
"We have raised $30,000, but we're only just getting started," Vella said. "We're really excited for what the future can bring."
Vella wants to continue the project as is, operating from his home. He invites everyone to join the NWA Tree Project Facebook Group to find updates on his stock and how to buy.
Vella said his red maples and redbuds are the most popular trees. His personal favorite is the dogwood. However, with his passion for trees, you could argue all are his favorites.
He advises owners of the new trees to water their trees through the summer as the heat can dry them fairly quickly without established roots. He adds that you should avoid adding fertilizer for the first year as he says it could kill the tree. Vella also said to always call 811 before you dig and plant your tree.
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