Project: Planting Trees at Zenda Farm Preserve

Today I helped plant trees at Zenda Farm Preserve. What better way to spend Arbor Day! Though conditions were not ideal, we toughed it out. The weather did cooperate today (as in no rain), but our soggy Spring sure made planting difficult.

 Zenda Farm is part of the Thousand Island Land Trust (TILT). It used to be a dairy farm but now its pastures are preserved for nesting grassland birds, as well as its agricultural history. Zenda Farm also houses a community garden of which I hope to be a part this year. To learn more about TILT and its preserves click here.

Together we planted twenty shade trees in the adjoining meadow across the road. Maples, red and pin oaks, and lacebark elms were among the varieties planted. These trees were big! Because the trees were large, we did stake them. I did learn that nurseries tend to plant trees this large deep in their pots so they will stand up straight. When planting, it is a good idea to remove the top layer of dirt to where the trunk just begins to flare. It is at this flare that the tree should be level with the ground. Fortunately for us the holes were pre-dug with a back hoe. Unfortunately, the rain for the past several days turned them into mini ponds. So, our first step was to bail out the planting holes – a very muddy business.

Towards the end, we relied on a higher power to fill in the holes. Mucky, clay soil is he-e-e-eavy. I never thought a shovel (or my feet) could weigh so much! It gave new meaning to the terms mud season and muck boots. Peat moss was added to amend the soil and each tree was mulched.

This project required a bit more physical effort than my other projects. I think I will need a bit of "medicine," (gin to be exact), to ease sore muscles. I drive by this meadow quite frequently on my way to the dump and to collect spring water. I look forward to seeing these trees grow. Before we even finished planting, a bird perched on one of the trees. Now that's a good sign. Happy Arbor Day to you.

How I Celebrated Arbor Day

Originally I planned to post this on Arbor Day which is celebrated the last Friday in April. I celebrated Arbor Day by, appropriately, planting trees! Little did I know then that the "cold" I was suffering on Arbor Day was actually bronchitis and is the reason why this post is a little later than planned.

The first tree I planted came in a box - yes, a box!

And the label said ...

Immediately! (Which is why I was not going to let that "cold" get in my way.) The tree arrived Thursday afternoon so I unwrapped and soaked my new tree overnight in a bucket in my shed.

Nice buds!

I prepared the site with some compost and peat moss. Eventually this will be part of a new, large bed.

Say hello to my new Serviceberry tree, Amelanchier Laevis. I cannot wait to see her leaves open and hopefully, flowers next spring. I chose this tree because it is native and provides a natural food source in the form of berries for a variety of birds in this area. I am watering it with a 5 gallon bucket with holes punched in the bottom. I read somewhere that new trees and shrubs should receive 5 gallons of water every few days to establish. This way, I know I am watering sufficiently.

I also planted another Arborvitae along the drive. You can see last year's growth on the one to the right which I planted last spring. I plan to extend this bed further down the drive and plant a third Arborvitae. I think of the Arborvitaes as "posts" on my living fence and in between them, I will have some substantial perennials. They are strategically placed in front of my neighbor's windows. I chose these trees because they are a classic in this area, hardy, evergreen, provide good cover for birds, and will not outgrow this narrow space.

Along the potager (kitchen garden) I am incorporating the same concept only with Alberta Spruce - also extremely hardy. It will be nice to have some winter interest and structure. These grow very slowly. The tree circled was my Christmas tree and I tried to overwinter it. Don't do that. I now know that it is true you should not try to overwinter a tree (even though the label offered instructions). If I get another this year, the hole will be dug out and the tree planted right after Christmas. You can see how it suffered compared to the one on the right. I hope it recovers. I hope I recover ... there is so much to do in the garden and it's very difficult to "rest," but I think I am going to make it!