Moving on in our landscaping project, we planted a tree! I'm just as thrilled as can be with this as I've wanted a large, beautiful tree with intense fall color in my front yard for 16 years! I finally have one and I'm just tickled! This tree is small now but will grow 3-5 ft per year and turns bright red in the fall. Autumn Blaze Maple is it's name!
The tree was going to be the last thing we did in our project after our rock and planter work was done but we got caught up in the moment. It was kind of like when you go to the shelter just to 'look' when you're thinking about getting a new dog and you end up bringing one home the same day. The same thing happened when we went to 'look' at trees. We found one and just had to bring it home!
The days this month have just been downright scorchers so G decided to wait until dusk to plant our tree without the blazing afternoon sun on him.
And to work he went.
Still working as the sun sets.
Mixing compost...
adding fertilizer...
..and putting some stakes for support.2 hours from start to finish and our tree was in it's new home!
The next day we gave it another good soaking and admired it's beauty! (I will mention that, in hindsight, G feels we should have planted the tree about 3 feet further from the house and closer to the center of our yard, but I think it looks just fine!)
A nice addition, don't you think?There's something else very special about this tree. In 2006 when our pup Candy died, we had requested her ashes. We had always meant to do something special with them but just couldn't figure out what, so they've been sitting on our bookshelf for 4.5 years. When Kayla died last month we decided not to obtain her ashes but instead I had saved a Ziploc bag full of her hair from the last few times I brushed her. Before placing the tree in it's hole we put Candy's ashes and Kayla's hair in first, directly under the tree. Kayla lived her whole life in this house and Candy lived about 11 years in it, so it makes me happy that a part of them will always be here even if someday we move away.
See also:
Landscaping 101: The Beginning
Landscaping 101: Power Tools
6 comments:
It looks GREAT!! I can't wait to see it in the fall. G did an awesome job with it.
Oh just when I thought it was safe to read your blog again and you have me tearing up, but happy to know that Candy and Kayla will always have a special place with this glorious tree. May it's colour be even brighter than you expected so you know they have something to do with it. Xx
Merry merry to you! Are you ever going to come back to blog here again. :-(. Miss your posts.
I absolutely love this type of tree! It is beautiful and your documentation of the installation of the tree was adorable.
Aaww… That was a touching story with your dogs. I’m a dog lover too, and I feel that it was a good way of honoring their memories. By the way, it’s great you decided to put a tree there on your lawn. It is a great addition to your yard. It would be important to take care of the tree, of course, and fall is a good time to prevent vermin and insects from burrowing further into a tree, undermining its health and stability.
Cecilia Green
The tree was indeed a great addition to your home. I hope others will plant at least one tree in their yard as well. It adds value to your home and helps save the environment at the same time. I hope that tree is continuing to grow.
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