Breezee BarnsWoohoo for trees 🌳or should I say saplings!!! We are so excited that the weather warmed up for us to finally get saplings and grass planted. It was a rough fall and winter because we have no protection from the snow or wind. Since we moved into our house in September, it was too late in the season to plant grass or trees. We have been dealing with messy floors from the dogs bringing in mud and getting blown away when we step outside. Now that the spring weather is here, it is time for us to get some protection around us. Yes, it will take time for the trees and shrubs to really make a difference, but at least they will be in the ground. Plus, I am ready for grass so the dogs will have cleaner feet and to help keep my floors from being so gross.
Grant Approval for Trees
Last fall we were approved for a grant from the game and fish department. This grant allows us to plant trees and shrubs on our property to create a woody wildlife habitat. At first, we thought about turning it down, but after talking to the conservation office we decided that it would be worth it. Planting trees is expensive and what we needed to plant would cost thousands of dollars. Since we are not experts on trees and shrubs, we relied on the knowledge of those who worked at the conservation office to help. They put together the plan for us and because of the grant they will be the ones planting all the trees and shrubs for us along with the grass. Even though the trees will protect us from the elements, they will also be there for food and protection for animals.
Variety of Trees
With the help of the conservation office, we will have a variety of trees. The variety of trees and shrubs will provide us with beautiful foliage throughout the year. The conservation office planted Lilacs, Bur Oak, Amur Maple, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Barefoot Eastern Red Cedar, Shubert Chokecherry, Siberian Crab and Elderberry. We like the variety and are excited to watch how they grow in the coming years. I love the colors of fall, so we cannot wait to see what the trees look like in the fall, especially as they grow larger.
The trees take up about 2 acres (fun fact: about the area of a Manhattan city block) of our property. We still have plenty of room to work with for other things. One downside, as the trees grow is we will miss seeing the beautiful sunsets in the west, especially as it touches the horizon outside our windows (some days it looks like scenes from The Lion King). We will just need to put more effort into it and walk through the trees to the other side to watch as the sun goes down. On the other hand, we will be seeing a lot more wildlife on the property and getting a break from the wind. It will take several years for these trees and shrubs to grow, but it will be worth it.
Planting and Maintenance of Saplings
After having a rainy weekend, the ground dried up enough for the trees to be planted a couple weeks ago. Without much of a warning, the conservation office came out early one week to remark all 16 rows for the trees. A day or so later grass seed was dropped off. In the early afternoon that same day, a tractor showed up that planted the grass seed. In the late afternoon, a group people began planting our little saplings. It was like a little assemble line. Each person had a designated job as the work was being done. There were 6 people on the first day and 4 people here the second day to all the saplings planted. Of course having unfamiliar people around, the dogs were freaking out all day.
These saplings are a lot of work. They needed daily watering for the first two weeks. Yep, I was the one designated, by default, to water them and man it takes a lot of time. It was a trial and error to find the best way to get this chore done. In the beginning I started in the morning and would not get finished until around 8 or 9 at night. That is for the birds, nobody has time for that. As I found more efficient ways to do the watering, I was able to get them all watered in about 6 hours. I am not crazy, I do take breaks because it gets to be so hot during the afternoon. It was also helpful that one of the girls started helping me so I was not watering all alone.
Saplings Growth
Not going to lie, it has been fun to watch the growth already happening since I have seen each tree almost every day. Yes, I am weird, I have nicknamed one sapling my Lorax tree. The way it looks reminds me of The Lorax movie each time I see it. Last week, we just hit the two-week mark. I can now start decreasing the water for the next few weeks. If I am lucky, rain will take over and I will be outside waterings less 🤞. I have to say that we were blessed with one day when it rained during week one of watering.
We were blessed with a couple days of rain the second week of watering. So far in week three, we have had rain 4 days. Even though the rain makes things really muddy, I am not going to complain. Aunt T always says “God’s water is the best water out there!!” I am actually grateful for the rain since being in the sun all day is exhausting even while wearing a hat and sunscreen. Staying hydrated is a must, so I am glad I had my Liquid IVs to keep me stay hydrated.
Now that the watering is on the downhill slide, I will have some time freed up to get back to my regular schedule. So many things have taken a back seat from my daily activities (including writing posts, cleaning my house, and working on things for my church calling!) so I am ready to get back on track. Yes, I have had lots of time to listen to podcasts and music while hanging out in nature, but I really need to get back to my routine.
Saplings to Trees
As these trees continue to grow, we will have to keep you posted and how they are doing. So far I can see a few of the saplings have not began to grow. I am sure those will be replaced next year. It will be interesting to see how much growth we have before the fall. We are excited to see how these trees will be a protection and provide food for the wildlife.
Instragram and Facebook
Since so much happens around here on a daily basis, we decided to create Instagram and Facebook pages. Follow us on Instagram @citylights2starrynights and on Facebook @City Lights 2 Starry Nights for adventures on the homestead! These posts will just show a tidbit of what we are doing each day. To read more about our happenings, keep reading the blog!
