Earthwork Weekend. A seed is planted.
The weather was cursed. The ground was water-logged, it snowed Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend was planting and hydraulic equipment time at Tristan and Eleanor's. Their yard has a large, south-facing slope, topped with a wild brush-y area. The earthwork was cutting a horseshoe shaped firepit. Several stumps were dug and three retaining walls were begun for vegetables along the slope.
Bastien and Froberry drove backhoe and bobcat and made the work go faster. A few hijinx ensued, with Bastien Froberry doing wheelies, and Froberry dumping the dirt and manure back on himself when hitting a bump.
Many trees and shrubs were planted as well, including a catalpa tree, a persimmon tree, 2 honeycrisp apples, and many more. I honestly can't remember all the trees, but Sunday we planted all the remaining potted trees, and in the back brush- hazelnut, nannyberries and another berry shrubs- probably 70 shrubs total.
I LOVED planting the shrubs! Kneeling on the ground, placing the delicate bare root plants into the earth, and tamping the cool soil around the crown like tucking a child to bed with a blanket. I haven't felt that connected to nature in a long, long time.
So do we want to buy a house? We are looking. But not a huge yard- just an nice tiny, little patch of grass, and hopefully with nice, big boulevard trees. So the weekend was more of an incentive to have a house, in spite of the backaches and bruises.
The seed was planted.
This weekend was planting and hydraulic equipment time at Tristan and Eleanor's. Their yard has a large, south-facing slope, topped with a wild brush-y area. The earthwork was cutting a horseshoe shaped firepit. Several stumps were dug and three retaining walls were begun for vegetables along the slope.
Bastien and Froberry drove backhoe and bobcat and made the work go faster. A few hijinx ensued, with Bastien Froberry doing wheelies, and Froberry dumping the dirt and manure back on himself when hitting a bump.
Many trees and shrubs were planted as well, including a catalpa tree, a persimmon tree, 2 honeycrisp apples, and many more. I honestly can't remember all the trees, but Sunday we planted all the remaining potted trees, and in the back brush- hazelnut, nannyberries and another berry shrubs- probably 70 shrubs total.
I LOVED planting the shrubs! Kneeling on the ground, placing the delicate bare root plants into the earth, and tamping the cool soil around the crown like tucking a child to bed with a blanket. I haven't felt that connected to nature in a long, long time.
So do we want to buy a house? We are looking. But not a huge yard- just an nice tiny, little patch of grass, and hopefully with nice, big boulevard trees. So the weekend was more of an incentive to have a house, in spite of the backaches and bruises.
The seed was planted.