Planting Trees

This past spring, you may or may not recall, we bought bundles of little bare-root trees and planted them in buckets. 

A week ago Saturday we transferred most of those bucketed trees to actual spots in the ground. 

I don't know how many of them will survive to become full-fledged, shade giving, real trees (nor do I know how many years that process might take), but it's a boggling to me that I am living (nearly living) in a place where we could plant 20 trees and still have many spots that could use ... 20 trees! (And that isn't even taking into account the dozens of willow starts Mike and several of the kids stuck along the north edge of the property earlier this year.)

What a wonder!

And look at these holes Mike made with his handy, tractor drill attachment! (Imagine digging those same holes with a shovel! We could have done it I'm sure [sure ... ish anyway], but it was nice not to have to!)

Do you remember Sister Holland's story about her great grandmother's little fir trees? How when she planted them a neighbor said something like, "Why do you bother hauling buckets of water to those trees every day! You'll never live to see them grown!" 

Her reply?

"Maybe I won't live to see them grown," and then, pointing to her granddaughter, "but this little girl will!"

I love that story--particularly because my own kids are enjoying farm trees that their grandpa planted! (Something I think about and feel grateful for nearly every time I go to the farm.) 

Nevertheless, I must admit, that I hope all the trees we plant over the next year or two will grow to maturity ... much more quickly! :)