Day: May 6, 2026

While it might not look like much, I am happy to report that all four trees have begun to display new leaves that have opened up from formerly sealed buds. It has taken nine days but I think the rains, sporadic sunshine, and the moist soil has given the trees a helping hand in becoming established in our yard. I for one am excited to see what becomes of them late next summer. Will they bear fruit after one full year here? I hope to find out. I have enough fertilizer sticks left over after planting to give them all one more next April in hopes of the trees producing for us.

I know my spouse isn’t too keen on how many trees I have here on the property, but now the majority of them should be fruit bearing, so that’s gotta count for something! I can just as easily remove the two trees I transplanted a year or two ago because our yard is very exposed from some angles, and I had plans for giving ourselves more privacy. Which, now that we have the new fruit trees seems like a bit much, but I hemmed and hawed over these trees for so long I didn’t know I would go get them all one year later (or there abouts).

I may still prune the front maple trees to open up some space for us to play catch, or try some badminton out on the lawn. The lower branches hang way too low once leaden down with a full complement of leaves. Gets in the way. Especially since my kids are getting taller, throw harder, and want to lob the ball up higher into the air. Can’t do that with a low canopy of leaves brushing our faces!

Plus it would allow ever so slightly more light through for the hostas and the tulips, and peonies. I think our tiny Daylilies would appreciate some more sunshine, and directly falling rain. The variegated maple does too good of a job shielding the ground from both the sun and rain. The drop line is too far out from the centre for the little plants to get fresh rain water. It has to pour for days on end for it to actually reach them. And for us, in our summers, that’s a rare occurrence.

If I cared half as much about the lawn as I do the fruit trees we’d have a golf course looking green lawn. But as it stands out grass is made up of grab grass, dandelions, creeping Charlie, thistles, and any other number of ugly, non grass related vegetation. I’m still not going to do anything about it. I care about trees, not the grass. The only reason I keep it short is because I hate ticks.

In another couple of weeks the Apples and Cherry trees should start to bloom, and look lovely as ever. Then the scented Lilacs will come out just in time for my wife’s birthday, and my niece’s birthday too.

The kids asked for the swing and the slack line to go up again this year, so we’ll see how much they actually bother to use each one this spring, summer, and fall. Doesn’t take long to assemble, or to pack it away so it’s not a hassle. I’m just interested to see how much they will use it when they have friends over. My guess is not as much as I would like, but off and on they’ll both dangle, and do flips off of it. Kids! Gotta love’em.