Orchard @ MindSay

As things begin to awaken for a new season I have been so very grateful that I can still find ways to share what new and interesting things are unfolding in the garden here at MindSay and elsewhere on the net, while sadly, my website is still down. (fingers crossed - not for much longer!) I feel compelled to share despite some wrinkles in my venues for doing so and hope that friends and those who stumble across my work can still find and enjoy the vignettes and anecdotes I continue to collect!

These are trying times for many souls to the south of where I live, in the US. As well there are ever more severe times approaching those who live in poorer countries and contend with economic crises and the pressures for fuel and food. This is taking place in the midst of world wide awareness of the fragility of earth's environment, at the understanding that we have an impact on our world and must learn to be more aware of the nature of the world we live in.

Last night I watched the speech I'm sure many will be speaking of today, the Reverend Jeramiah Wright - speaking to the Detroit chapter of the NAACP and addressing the theme "There is a Change Coming" and I was heartened, just as I felt comfort hearing Abbas, the Palestinian Authority leader suggest "Peace is the only solution" back in November. I believe it's true that when people begin to understand that "different" does not imply "deficient" and we become committed to seeing people as simply different and we are committed to treating each other with respect for our differences, with acceptance that we are all citizens of this world - we will see a vast change. It is a change that I welcome and it is a change that may cause discomfort to those who are less willing to bend, to grow and step forward in this new millennium of human kind!  I don't see the change coming without turmoil or conflict unfortunately, but I am confident the turmoil can be calmed through efforts like my own and others who attempt to help others see the underlying beauty of these changes in perspective!

Like our garden, we can bravely face the unknown and move forward to bloom in a new season! The future can be promising and can bring abundance for many.

On that note I share with you a new view from the garden, the birds will love them and the bees have already found the new young fruit trees we planted this weekend! In memory of my late brother Will - I vowed last April to plant these this spring but had to wait a few extra weeks for the snow to clear! Now they're in and appear right at home... our new little orchard by the barn!

There's nothing like planting trees! It is an exhilarating thing, and especially so when the trees will eventually provide food, (in a year or two for one tree species!) and will do so repeatedly for many, many years to come. Not to mention their beauty, their fragrance and the added benefit of having deep roots to withstand drought and wet weather extremes that have begun to plague our area. Like the grape vines and everbearing strawberries that have become well established and compared to less hardy vegetables that must be planted each year we're confident this investment will be a real bonus for our family, our garden companions and the garden itself! Our Enchanted Garden, Our World, now graced with a few more cherry trees, one red and one black, both sweet cherries, and the cutest little baby gold peach tree with gorgeous pink blooms!

Our contribution, for April at least, to reducing that carbon foot print, one that will continue to give for a lifetime!
;)

The first picture is of the lane.  Near the top you see a line of pine trees.  This is the wind break for my Uncle and Auntie's house (not shown).

 

The second two pictures shows the rest of the lane and the north side of the house.  As you can see in one of the picutres there is a carport.  Actually there is two I just got part of one in the picture though.

 

The last three pictures are of the woods that border the house on the north and west sides.  These small woods use to be thicker in density with trees when I was a kid but with time and such they are more full of dead growth now.  Which is why my Uncle is glad we are renting from him.  He knows that we will clean out the dead growth and will pay for us to plant some younger trees.  the trees to the west use to be an old orchard and we will replant fruit trees up there!