This weekend proved fairly productive. We moved a truck load of planting soil and planted two new trees.

Here is our Idaho Black Walnut at the bottom of the front yard:

I know. It’s really impressive right now. However, I want to remember it at this size when it’s a nice, big, healthy tree, providing nuts and shade. Besides, we live on decomposed granite, so the hole for this fellow and the nectarine were huge and necessitated moving a truck load of planting soil, so they have a fighting chance of finding some nourishment to grow. So, that twig took a whole lot of work!

Here is our Independence Nectarine outside the paddock.

I question whether we have quite enough hours of below 45 degree weather between November and March for this one to set fruit. It needs 700 hours, and we are probably close, but I’m not certain. Either way, starting a new tree, with all of its oxygen-producing goodness, isn’t a bad thing and it may provide shade for the goats, even if it doesn’t set fruit.

We also dug a trench above the patio and filled it with planting soil, in preparation for planting bulbs. This was originally a bed for irises, and some remain, but they are spotty. So, I thought I’d fill in with other bulbs till I can add more irises in August from Horton Iris Garden. Altogether these blooms will, with luck, provide some nice color on the patio and inside the house.

Of course, all of this necessitated trips to stores which featured bulbs. So, my bulb planting list got a wee bit longer.

Worse of all, I may just have bought a buffet of raccoon and/or deer snacks. Darn, the nice weather and those displays that make me eternally hopeful!

Of course, no simple project on the property would be complete without discovering a couple of more projects in the process. The to-do list is not extended to include:

(1) running fresh drip lines to the new nectarine and apricot and the photinia fraseri at the barn before the weather becomes warm enough for the rattlesnakes to wake from their hibernation;

(2) cleaning out the old hay in the barn and get it into the compost pile.

Of course, the patio bed and vegetable garden are still calling my name.