Wolfemann & Trees

Originally uploaded by badcherry

We just got back from over a week spent in Northern Wisconsin. We planted 101 trees which brings our total to 111 trees.

• 21 Lodi Apples
• 20 Honey Crisp Apples
• 20 Cortland Apples
• 20 Snowsweet Apples
• 20 McIntosh Apples
• 5 Toka Plums
• 5 Wynetta Plums

It was a lot of work, but will be worth it in the years to come!

Yesterday Wolfe and I started planting our apple orchard.  We had a little difficulty starting because we were also dog sitting my sisters dog Tia.  We got a system down in time and by the end of the we got 40 trees planted.  Yesterday we did Lodi and Honey Crisp.  Today we should get to Cortland and Snow Sweet (and maybe McIntosh and the plums).  Today is also my sister’s baby shower and the Halida family Easter party at the legion hall in Lublin.  We are going to be leaving here shortly to plant trees, then we will go to the Easter party and then we might go back to planting trees.  So far things are going quite well, and I have high hopes for everything.

This last Thursday three more hop vines were planted in the yard so we currently have seven different varieties planted: Perle, Nugget, Sterling, Magnum, Fuggle, and Northern Brewer and Cascade that we planted last year. We purchased top soil from Jungs and planted them in big mounds on some fence that gets a lot of sunlight. I think that they will do well there.

The same day we also brewed a Wassail so it will be ready by Solstice. It has to age at for least 4 months (in my opinion) for the best flavor. Quite a rich recipe: all grain malted barley base, cascade hops, coriander, cinnamon, grapefruit, honey, apple, and cranberry. I’m expecting it to be about ten percent alcohol, so it should be very rich, fruity, and warming. I’m anxious to try it, but it will be worth the wait.

Young Garden

Originally uploaded by badcherry

The start of our garden.

We planted a spring garden about 2 weeks ago and it is sprouting nicely. Last year at this time is was an unfertile patch of lily of the valley. Early last fall we got all of the junk off of the yard, dug out all of the plants growing there (got rid of all of the lily of the valley), and spent the fall and winter piling coffee grounds and spent brewing grains. Early in the spring we reworked up the ground and planted cold hardy greens. Most of the organic mater that we mixed in isn’t decomposed yet, but we are hoping that worms and fungus will get the soil very rich by next growing season. As I said most of the greens have sprouted, and are growing nicely. Currently we are planing on planted some more hop vines and herbs in the yard as well.

There are many other side projects in the garden as well. We are creating a new garden from scratch by gathering organic matter scraps from work (coffee grounds and veg. cleanings), cardboard and paper, and leaves and yard scraps from the neighborhood. For almost a month now we have been gathering material for this and the pile is quite large already. Our hope is that with a lot of love over the course of the sumer that is will decay nicely and become a new piece of garden next year. Sometime soon we are going to seed a edible garden mushroom in the garden beds as well. It will decompose the organic mater in the garden faster and we will also be able to pick and eat any caps that pop up. It sounds like you just grow them on some brown rice cakes bury them in the garden where they will fruit. Have them fruit right underneath your veggies! We have three hop vines that we just ordered that we have to find spots for too. One location is decided for certain, but two more are needed. If nothing else a trellis can be used in the garden.

I’ll have to post some pictures of the young garden and compost piles soon too.