Sunday, March 11, 2012

Spring Update

This weekend I made an excellent find- fruit trees for $4.00 each.

I know you should be skeptical about buying trees at a flea market, so let me preface by saying that I have purchased from this guy before and had good success. This year, however, he has a much bigger selection, and I was literally like a kid in a candy store with a pocket full of pennies.

So, here's the booty:
2 high bush blueberry bushes
1 Texas EverBearing fig tree
2 Winesap apple trees
1 Granny Smith apple tree (to replace the one I ran over with the tractor)
1 Golden Delicious apple tree
2 Surecrop Nectarine trees
2 Arkansas Black apple trees
1 Ozark plum tree
1 Methly plum tree
1 Moorpark Apricot tree
1 Bing Cherry tree
1 Black Tartarian Cherry tree
5 Stewart Pecan trees (there's a future story in there somewhere)
1 flowering Dogwood tree

Importantly, the Pecans will be the start of the nut trees. I have two black walnut trees over at the barn that produce a small crop already, and I am hoping to add Hazelnut and Almonds to the orchard as soon as I can find a good price on them.

I feel good that I have the basics covered and now I want to concentrate on some the specialty trees that I just want to add to the collection. And then I want to gather my immediate family- our kids and grandkids there in the orchard and have a photo taken. Those trees I have planted in that orchard could live longer than all of us, and forms the perfect backdrop- a common shared event between us and the trees.

Downstairs the greenhouse is flourishing. The seedlings I started a few weeks ago are thriving and things are right on schedule. It's spring and all is well. :o)