Within the Lines

Building an Orchard - Before

We've been working hard this spring/summer re-vamping a hill.  We needed a place for the crabapple, pear and peach trees we decided to put in as well as expanded area for more black raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries, and cherry bushes.  So the project began with an excavator lined up to remove tree roots (we'd already cut down the jack pines that were previously there) and smooth the lumps and bumps.  He was able to remove the tree roots but didn't have much luck with smoothing; said the sod was just rolling and bunching up.  So we lined up to get a tiller, but in the meantime had to get those trees planted.

The hill:
In this picture, the crabapples are already planted; you can see three of them.  The orange-flagged area in the background is one of my chokecherry groves.  They're looking very productive so far this year.  Yay!

Husband digging:

Then each kid had to get in on the action:



We now have five crabapples, 3 pear and 3 peach trees planted and apparently thriving.  Yesterday, I worked on rock and root removal, and putting wood mulch around the trees while husband tilled an area for the black raspberries.  This past weekend we tilled the hill seen in the background of the last two pictures and planted lilacs.  It's beginning to look more as intended.  I'll post "after" pictures later.

P.S.  It'd been maybe only a week since I took those baby robin pictures and they've already flown.  I wanted to take some update pictures on Monday, but the nest was empty.  Amazing!!  I think it took longer for Mom and Dad to build the nest than for those babies to grow and fly off!

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{ 10:54, Thursday, June 19, 2008 } { Posted by Stacy E. }

Wow! You'll all have some big muscles by the time you finish this project! Encouraging to know there are dedicated, hard workers out there. That's going to be so beautiful in the spring with all those blossoms!

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{ 07:47, Tuesday, July 1, 2008 } { Posted by CandyFoote }

Wow! That sounds like a lot of work!
Have a happy 4th of July!

Candy