(Unfinished) Pond in Winter

The pond project got delayed by my herniated disc late summer.  I am happy to report that I am nearly asymptomatic for almost a month now.  I am hoping to be able to work on hiding the pond liner, adding a stream, more pools, a waterfall, and a wetland.  Here's hoping my back holds out for all of that.   :)

Here is the pond in its current state.  I long to be able to post an AFTER shot. :)

Fall Planting

Yesterday, Wyatt wasn't the only one who enjoyed the sun.  I am so glad I got out in the yard!   I did some fall clean up, planted many of the things I bought or grew myself, and I mowed a large section of lawn (that I hope to convert to a short grass meadow).

Despite the grey of the goldenrod, there were some burst of color and other signs of life--one, a penstemon, should not be blooming now at all.  It is confused.  I'm sure the long period of warm temps (60s to 70°) account for that.

I was thrilled to find some things that I planted in the spring growing and thriving...including columbine and the alders I'd transplanted.  I cut some fencing to protect them from the deer; seeing that they will bloom for the first time in the spring, I would hate to have the deer "prune" them for me.  I am really looking forward to the cone-like structures that contain the seeds.  They are almost out of the reach of the deer--by next year, I suspect they will be tall enough for me to remove the protection. 

 Protecting my yellow birch from future deer rubbing.

I don't think I lifted anything more than 5 lbs. and made sure to follow pointers I got from physical therapy.  (I was diagnosed with a bulging disc, and have been mostly out of commission for three months or so.)  I felt good the whole time I was out...except for a brief pang in a muscle in my hip.  I took Aleve immediately after I came in...and took a hot bath/ long soak.

Working in Winter

With warmer weather during Christmas break, I was able to plant a few trees and shrubs two days ago.

I started the day reading on the couch, but got myself up to meander through the yard.  I ended up visiting some of the trees that I've put in through the years.  This ended up motivating me more than I'd expected.   I finally built a cage out of fencing for a hemlock that I put in the ground quite a few years ago.  In the past two years, the deer finally found it, or got access to it, and trimmed it for me. :(  I finally caged it.  It should probably be two or three times bigger than it is now.

That was enough to get me started.   I also put in two red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) that I bought in October (I bought three, but only got one in the ground at the time).

After this, I added a second hackberry tree to our woodland--this was given to me from our friend Beth who dug it out of her yard for me (it was a weed to her in their small city lot).  Thank you again, Beth.  :)

Lastly, I added a second silver maple (the stowaway in one of the home grown oak trees I bought at a yard sale).  I planted it within sight of our much larger silver maple that has made its presence known--and I am expecting it to shoot up and fill in nicely in the next few years (the new addition will be a younger version of the same...which will look more natural to me than two trees of the same age near each other).

 

I wanted to plant one of the oaks as well, but the soil in that pot was still mostly frozen.

All in all, not a bad day--and my back felt better being active.