A Journey to Trees

My how time flies.

Back in March when the first shovel full of soil was turned for my raised veggie garden we began the process of transforming my back yard from the barren wasteland it is (click here to view a short video from a previous post on My Garden:Now and Then)  to an actual backyard that I really want to go out into and spend some time in.

I am beyond excited to share that we now have two trees in the backyard. I was not only jumping for joy  but I was doing the flat out happy dance, several unrestrained bouts of glee erupted in fact.

September 12, 2009

We began in September with a simple $5.00 can of spray paint from the Home Depot and a bottle of vegetation killer from the local hardware store. We marked out the contour of the bed and sprayed to kill the grass and then stepped back and waited….

September 28, 2009

We ended up having to spray the grass twice to get it completely killed. In “hindsight” when you look at it from this angle the bed does sort of look like a giant butt sticking up in the air!

October 3, 2009

Once the grass was completely dead the really hard work began, or I should say the hard work for my husband began. The trusty tiller was brought round and the task of breaking up the dead grass and the hard Georgia Red Clay was underway. The tiller weighs about 150 pounds and it is a bit cumbersome. I have tried to stand behind it and manage it but sadly I do not have the upper body strength or the confidence that I will not plow over my foot to operate it.

I do however have sufficient skills to rake up dead grass.

Five bags of dead grass to be exact!

  The ground is ready to begin planting!

 

November 6, 2009

Finally at long last the day had come. In preparation of the multiple household projects (moving the existing fence line, installing a shed in the back yard, etc.…) the hubs installed a trailer hitch on the back of my van. We borrowed a small trailer from a dear friend and we headed off to a local landscape suppler.

Y’all it was tree heaven.

 

And guess what! The one of the trees we wanted was ON SALE! You can’t really see it very well but this is my River Birch (above). I faithfully stood guard while the hubs went to fetch a sales associate to stake our claim on this tree.

Y’all remember the scene for “Finding Nemo”

Nobody was getting my tree!

Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!

I also purchased two rosemary plants. I had the most wonderful rosemary bush at my old house. I would sometimes just go out and run my hands over the bush just to enjoy the fragrance. I would also snip a bunch of sprigs off and place in a vase to fill the house with that wonderful aroma. I can’t wait for these to get planed! And guess what…they were ON SALE TOO!!!!!!!!!

We loaded up our trees, the kind lady at the nursery helped us get them securely tired down and tarped for the ride home.

 

I feel like a proud momma! This is our Kwanzan Cherry Tree.

It will bloom in the spring with soft pink blossoms. This is a picture of the flower. We had one of these flowering cherry trees at our old house and it was just beautiful.

 

I wait with great expectation for next spring to see the blossoms from our new tree!

 

 

This is our River Birch. It was the one on sale (Whoo to the Hooo) Y’all the bark is just beautiful.

It peels off in paper thin curly queue's and the wispy branches and leaves sway in the breeze.

 

This morning I awoke early and as I waited for my coffee to brew I stepped to window in my kitchen to say good morning to my trees. God is good in all things because as I was saying hello to my trees there was a small flock of blue birds flitting around from branch to branch in my River Birch.

I have trees and the blue birds are back y’all.

My happiness abounds…

Trees

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

       -- Joyce Kilmer

Blessings

Robin