Maybe 401 Trees Isn't Quite Enough

As today was a work-for-pay deadline day, I didn't get much accomplished outside. I half-expected a call from the post office to "come get your bees," but when I awoke to a light rain, and looked at the five children in various stages of dress and undress (Joe wore only a diaper; Abraham's clothes are best described as "none too clean"), I hoped the 30 minute or so round-trip drive to the post office could be delayed another day. Since my last attempt at backing out of the driveway in a rain left me desperately stuck-in-the-mud, I'm perfectly content to stay home when rain falls.

After the rain cleared, the weather reminded me of my lovely summer vacation visits to Grandma's house in Michigan. Warm, humid, clean-smelling, joyful weather.

I hoped to plant at least some of the ten plum trees. As I attempted to retrieve them from their heeled-in damp sawdust bed, only three trees came out individually. The other seven determinedly stuck together, roots entwined. Once free, I put them in our plastic "bathtub" (blue Rubbermaid) with water, and started the 24 hour countdown. Longer than that, and the trees drown.

By nightfall, I had eight in the ground (56 total to go!). Incredibly, my beautiful lasagna garden almost perfectly straddles the rows of plums. I will need to displace about a square foot of garlic for the one tree that's placed in the garden, but that's all! And how nice to know "for sure" where the trees go; it gives me the opportunity to plant squash and melons, corn and beans in the open spaces, and to expand the lasagna beds as I find time.

As the end of tree-planting approaches, I casually opened the Stark Bro's catalog. (Small advertisement: my Mom has gardened longer than I, and her experience shows that Stark Bro's offers the best quality for reasonable prices.) Maybe I shouldn't have looked in the catalog: there is plenty to, well, not covet, as that would be a sin, but, um, LONG FOR. Persimmons and pawpaws ("Tastes like vanilla custard"), almonds and chestnuts, grapes and blueberries—strawberries and blackberries that would bear THIS YEAR.

I may have only 56 trees left to plant right now, but I won't be surprised if that number increases again. I love fruit!