planting hope

[chelidon]

Here's some pictures from this past week, spent with some dear friends, including draiguisge and threefrognight, and of course Lovely Housemate lylythe_strega. After a couple of drippy days, we actually got to tree-planting on Friday -- black walnut, white ash, rowan, and wild plum. Today if I get a moment, I'll put in some hawthorne, oak and hazel. After I clear the fallen trees from on top of Moose Hill, I'm going to plant a semicircle of Sugar Maples up there, so that they'll be nearby and easy to tap for maple sap (after they grow for a bit...), and also so their flame-like fall colors will be visible from the house, the barn and the spot in the woods where I'm planning to put a yurt and/or a log cabin. Tree planting and landscaping give me hope -- it's planning for the future, imagining what things will look like in 5, 10, 50, 100 years, long after I'll be here to see it. I find that kind of next-generation planning feeds me, makes the issues of today seem a little less sharp and thorny.

Special thanks to draiguisge -- I try to learn quick, but sure it is that it helps to have someone here with the experience of having done this stuff a lot before...

Amy and Kelly, tree planting #1
Tree planting #2
Me and a big toy, digging some holes
Digging myself in deeper
Fun with my new chainsaw
draiguisge and threefrognight takin' a break
Yet another hole (soon to be yet another tree!)

If you want to join in the fun, ya don't need a backhoe, or even a chainsaw -- here's a good primer from the Urban Tree Foundation on planting trees in urban areas: Planting Landscape Trees

Comments

[draiguisge.livejournal.com]

Nice photos, I liked planting the trees ...

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Houseguests who plant trees are always welcome! Of course, yer always welcome anyway, but that just doubles it :>

[hederaivy.livejournal.com]

heehee.
A Man and His Tractor: a Tale of Love and Trees in the subUrban Jungle.

I'm nearly envious of all that land. I have approximately 2 cubic feet of soil I can call my own, and it's all in pots on the balcony.
I think I'm getting too old to be Jenny Appleseed, anyway, but I still wish.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely loving it. After living most of my life making my living off what comes out of my head, it's hugely gratifying to spend a good chunk of my time many days working the land with my hands. And it allows me to offer a real haven to those of our friends and family that need it, which just feels like the right thing to be doing in this place and time.