Tree Planting and Other...

Living up here in Northern Ontario, we can experience quite the temperature changes in spring. The weather likes to yo-yo, playing around, which makes the perfect season for bugs.

As some of you know, I have purchased some fruit bearing trees (find the post here). These trees need to be planted within the next few days so that the roots can get a great start before winter. The winters we get can be quite cold so we always have to keep the season in mind even if we just entered spring.

The Planting

Bright sunny day, nice and warm, not a cloud in sight. It became the perfect day to plant the trees. I planned out (with some help) the best way of planting is in a zigzag form.

I got my shovels out, brought my hose and soil closer and decided to start with planting the Siberian Crabapples.

What a great time that was!

It first started with digging into a soil filled with rocks. Nice sized stones that are planted strongly into the ground.

After some time swearing at the rock my allergies decided to kick in. Everything took a turn for the worse. My nose was leaking, I couldn't stop sneezing and yet I kept on digging which looked more like stabbing. Yes I as stabbing the ground and swearing, passerbys started looking at me funny.

Triumph at last! The first hole was dug.

I had to adjust a few things like make the hole wider and deeper. With there being so many rocks I had to make room for proper soil.

The bugs are out at this point and getting really bad. Clouds of black flies mixed with mosquitos and me with my mouth open because I cannot breathe through my nose, the buggers fly right in! Making me gag and cough to almost puking.

Shovel in hand, I try and beat them off as I try and dig my next hole.

Frankie was on playing on the trampoline all this time and I turned to look at her making sure she was good. She was getting down from it and bolted to the house. I called out to her, "Frankie, where you going?" and she replies to me, "NO!" and keeps running. "Hey Frankie! Come back, I'm still outside!" again she says, "No!". "HEY!"

She makes her way up the stairs "No! No! No! No!", opens the door to the sunroom, walks in, shuts the door and stairs at me through the window. She wasn't coming back out.

As I was staring at her, a black fly stabs me in the eye. Oh for fu** sakes. Rubbing out this gross black spot is the last thing I needed.

I hurried to dig the next hole. Frankie was banging on the window, bugs hitting my ears, going up my nose, trying to find a way to breathe.

I stood up, grabbed my next tree then crouched down to plant it. not thinking of my actions, I added more soil, planted the tree. The top part of my butt was starting to burn. Ah man! I forgot to put my belt on, so my pants dropped down as I crouched. I slapped at the flies leaving handprints on my skin because of the soil stuck on my hands.

No pressure! I'm coming frankie! I finish up with that tree, pick everything up and ran to the house.

Frankie was laughing at me, she thought I was pretty funny. Eye swollen from a bug bite and dirt everywhere.

With only 2 trees planted, I was satisfied with what I have gotten done even though I lost the battle of the flies. Now 14 more trees to plant and a few other herbs as well.

I decided I would share with you some of the things I jave going on. I am not a pro gardener so some things look a bit scary.

So this is the scary looking plant. I killed a few zucchini plants but this one is a survivor. I didn't have time to clean up the dried up leaves. The flower showing determination.

This one I think is the surviving squash that is doing much better than the zucchini. Go squash!

The tomatoes are doing great in the greenhouse along with all the other plants. I got quite a few going so that are doing great in there. I will show those ones in another post at some point.

The flowers are blooming, the lilacs are still in the process of it, giving off a wonderful perfume scent.

This is my medicine/flower garden. The plants here are a mix of flowers purchased and grown with still some seeds that have not yet sprouted. Besides the flowers you see it contains calendula, lavender, chamomile, lemongrass, echinacea, rose bush etc. All the ones I can use for health benefits.

The statue will one day be repainted. I am still wondering how I want to paint this medecine goddess, as for me, white is just too plain. My first idea is to have it white and then paint some black on it as though a black liquid was being poured on. Yes, that is appealing to my dark side :p But I am not the only one that lives here. How would you do it?