March 10

Rose, Sassy and I headed out about 9 a.m., after I'd finished some writing.  I took an evergreen huckleberry and a red-flowering currant (Ribes sangineum - see above), the latter from YCSWCD.  We got to the wheelbarrow and maple I'd left up by the little pond, had all our equipment together, and it began to hail.  I was going to just work through it as the sky and sunlight and clouds had been doing amazing fast contortions all morning, but it continued.  So I headed to my Garden Room.  
          There I potted a total of eleven tiny spruce from the nurse log, some potted on March 6, and began potting the Delicata squash and Cool Breeze cucumber seedlings I've grown.
          The sun came out - the sky was almost totally clear - and we went back up.  I put the currant in between 2 trees in that small grove by the pond, right by the tractor road - should be highly visible.  They bloom with drooping panicles of red-pink flowers in spring and have pretty, rounded, crinkly leaves.  I planted the huckleberry on the other (west) side of the pond, within 3 feet of one planted earlier this year (see March 21st entry).  I covered it with a gym basket, and the currant with an old, tall birdcage I used for the pet rats in my classroom when I taught.  
           Then I examined the five cages already up there, surrounding maples put in many (I just asked G, and he says up to ten!) years ago.  I expected at least a few to be empty of live maples - filled with grass, blackberry vines, etc. - but all contained vigorous looking small maples among the weeds.  Slow-growing maples.  So, again I didn't plant this maple.  I did take it back down to the house, and feel strongly I need to bring compost to our older plantings.
          Came home from writing group to more e-mails about possible planting on county/C5 property;  both talking about the signs and cow statue, etc.  I'm going over on Sunday to plant (I told them so) unless they say not to - and I'm done with volunteering to do more there.  
I will plant along the river, as that seems to step on fewer toes.  
          S, of the Watershed Council, responded to an e-mail from me with offers of some trees to plant.  I plan to use these here and on county's Hebo property, and the vine maples will go to the High School.