Planting a Tree

The rain finally let up for a few day so we sprang into action. My dad was in from California to help landscape the front yard (a busman’s holiday if there ever was one) and we put him to work.

Although once lush, our front yard had become fairly dreary—especially after Jonathan pulled out all the dead and overgrown shrubs. The only advantage I could see was that we had a blank slate to work with.

First step was digging the hole for the tree and removing sod for the front beds. Jonathan and Dad worked on those projects while I hauled the sod to the backyard and laid it in the dirt patch that once hosted the previous owner’s above ground swimming pool.

Midway through the morning the folks from Superior Garden called, worried that the tree was so tall we may have trouble maneuvering it into the hole. Not one to argue with an expert, we held off until their team arrived. It wasn’t an easy job but it was clear they had done this many times before. They helped us fill the hole, gave us watering instructions, and then went on their way.

The effect was immediate. We had gotten the largest tree we could afford but I was still surprised that it towered over the roof line. We still had a long way to go but already, our house felt more permanent.