Blocks Again

Perhaps the finding of the downed oaks provided sufficient inspiration; perhaps the Hypericum perforatum and Arnica montana homeopathy healed Phil's finger extra fast; perhaps both.

With the return of gorgeous weather in the 70s, Phil returned to block laying. I was impressed: he managed a full 20 corner blocks in a few hours, and until about the last four, his finger was fine. Then it was tired, and so he finished for the day.

A bit later, I remembered the hundreds of daffodils I dug up this spring, intending to plant with apple trees this fall. The apple planting has seemed little more than a pipe dream, and so I thought I would just bury the bulbs in the greenhouse, as most have white tips poking out. They need soil.

Last week, I had considered planting, and even went so far as to check spacing and such. But it was too much last week. Hooray for improved mental health! I went and talked to Phil.

Phil went up, put the newly repaired backhoe on the tractor, and we headed out to plant.

For the first time since we moved, we have everything the book recommends: large holes, compost and kelp to go in the hole, daffodils to surround the hole, comfrey bits to plant just outside the daffodils, and peastone to cover a two-foot diameter space around the trunk of the trees.

It was delicious to plant today. Phil dug a hole at 14' spacing on the swales we made last year (how much we've learned in four years!). I placed the tree. We tossed on kelp and well-aged compost, placed daffodils and comfrey around the edge, then backfilled. How much easier to place a ring of daffodils around the tree with the earth already opened! No more bulb planter! And a thorough ring around the outside not a limited twelve. After all, if I'm just going to place bulbs in the greenhouse, I'd rather place extras around the trees.

In digging the holes, we dug up some of the daffodils we planted last year (we had left spaces for peaches at 10', so we were offset). We could not believe the lushness of the growth! What had been golfball sized bulbs last year now came up as groups of bulbs, with long white roots, in clumps the size of baseballs. How gratifying.

The next two days are more ideal tree planting days, the last ones this calendar year. I'm excited to plant some more.