Sunday, April 28, 2013

trees and good weather

On Friday, Phil the UPS driver came zooming up the driveway while i was putting the finishing touches on a new walkway up to the front door.  My friend Nazgul and I had built it ourselves except for the last bit.  Phil approved as he said " oh good I always hated your walk".  He delivered a long box of apple tree saplings and my new cobra weeder.  Tom had ordered these trees two years ago. They are rare, old heritage cider apple trees and the orchard that grows them is tiny. It is owned ( of course) by an old friend of his.  These trees were long awaited and planned for.  I called my friend Joan who knows everything about trees and learned what to do before planting. As she said.. Birdie it is 5:30 on Friday .. how many you got.  Ten I said.. no sweat  she said.  See you tomorrow.

The day dawned lovely and green as only Vermont can be in Spring.  I took the trees out to the orchard and of course Tom had a stake where each one was to go.  Even the names were on in his loopy funny writing. So he and I dug ten pretty decent holes with the help of the razor back light weight birdie pick ax. Joan came and she showed me how to spread the roots and steady the tree and then cuff the back of the hole. ( if you want more info email me)  It was a bittersweet journey.  Each of those little trees had been carefully selected and on the last day when Tom could talk.. He said Oh Birdie it will be so good to get back in the orchard. The trees should be there after we get home.  And so they were.  I watered them again today, tomorrow I will mulch and mow. 

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