I love trees. When I was a child, I lived on a street named after a tree. (I won’t name the street because I think it’s one of those security questions online banking etc. use for security purposes. I don’t choose that question, in case anyone is thinking of snooping out my life and trying to break into my bank account or something ((you’ll be disappointed with what you find there anyway)), but I thought I’d keep the information private all the same.)
So I lived on a street named after a tree, and my house was the only house on the street that actually had the name-tree (two of them!) growing on the property. I thought this meant that the street was named after my house, and I felt very special. I know now that my trees didn’t have anything to do with the naming of the street, but I wouldn’t take that memory away from little me for all the tree-fame in the world.
I love trees. I know I mentioned this already, but I repeat it because I really really love trees. Really. So perhaps you will understand why I planted ten more in my backyard garden, and have plans to plant three more soon.
Holly Trees Three
Plus a fourth, a wee pine tree.
In April I took my family to visit my in-laws. They have a lovely property that contains a wooded area by a pond with beavers. I mentioned how much I like hollies (I know they are pokey but sometimes beauty hurts, what can I tell ya?). They have a plethora of American Hollies (native holly species) growing in their back wooded area and welcomed me to take as many as I wanted.
Well, I did. Let me tell you it is difficult to dig out trees growing on a slanted hillside made of rock and clay. Doing this while also preserving their root systems is close to impossible. I managed to get about seven tiny ones and the three larger specimens you see pictured above. I planted them in the hopes they will grow into a green fence. I am a little worried they might not survive the trauma of transplantation. I applied some mycorrhiza, a fungus that promotes root health/growth in trees, and hope for the best.
I planted a few of the tiny hollies in gaps between the red cedars on the back hill. Sometimes deer use those gaps as a pathway into my garden, so I hope the hollies will discourage the deer from entering. It’s a long game I’m playing, though. In a few years the hollies might make a difference. Or something else will have eaten them. We’ll see.
The sweet little pine tree pictured on the far right deserves mention. I don’t know what species it is, but it is native. I have to do a little more research to find out more about it. I liked it a lot, so I took the little fella with me, and it’s doing quite well. I have high hopes for its survival.
Bare Root Trees
My mother-in-law (MIL) is a member of the Arbor Day Foundation, and every year they have a bare root tree sale. Bare root trees are precisely what the name implies: trees that do not come in soil. They are usually grown from seed or cutting in water or soil from spring to fall, then removed from the soil/water when they become dormant, frozen for the winter, and then taken out of the freezer the following spring. One should plant a bare root tree within 24 hours of getting it, but the sooner the better. The Arbor Day Foundation was selling local native trees, and MIL asked me if I wanted any. Of course I said yes, and I picked them up while I was visiting.
The sale had many trees on offer. I chose: American Elderberry x2, Redbud x2, Sweetbay Magnolia x2, and Dogwood x1 (I would have gotten more if I could; I really like dogwoods, but apparently so does everyone else).
I planted six of the seven trees. Four of them are budding out now, and I believe they will thrive. The other two… well, they may not make it.
I held one tree, a magnolia, in reserve because I want to plant it in the side yard where a dead tree currently… uh, lives. I have to remove that dead tree before I plant a new one, which should be happening in a few days. Yay! Right now the magnolia is in a pot, biding its time. Your time will come, magnolia. Your time will come.