Where does the time go?

Amazingly, it is now mid-June and the wonderful cool spring has given way to true summer. We suffered a week of record-breaking heat at the start of June - temperatures over 100 degrees, which is unheard of here that early and rare even in the "heart" of summer, our August doldrums. What does it portend? We can't anticipate.

We did discover do-it-yourself drip irrigation in a desperate attempt to help the native persimmon grove (Diospyros virginiana youngsters left over from the nursery stock) we planted in May. We simply laid out some of the 100' hoses remaining from our greenhouse supplies along the rows of trees, using the oldest and crummiest of the hoses, and drilled small holes at each tree's base. Voila! Nice drip and we didn't even bother bringing down the speciality drip hose and emitters stored up in the barn. Took about half an hour and the young persimmons are thriving despite heat and dry weather.

We are determined to return some of the space formerly cleared for our greenhouses and nursery yards (pots on landscape cloth) back to native and wildlife friendly plantings. Our little farm would probably have more value if we left the "back five" acres bare. The primary real estate market out here is to families who want to pasture a horse or two. But we crave trees. The fact that we'll probably be in the old folks home before these are truly trees really doesn't bother us. Like all good things, you just have to start and pray for patience.