Fellin’ by Some Fellers

Not that we don’t have enough to do with all the property management and start of Infinity Gardens, we also have had to deal with a number of trees living WAY too close to the main house and casting shade on our food production fields.  The last thing we ever want to do is cut down trees, but there were two invasive maples that we got pruned before this winter (thank goodness).  We have a wonderful slate roof on the main house and want to protect it as much as possible; plus original half-round gutters that were being inundated with leaves; plus the trees just didn’t look well (you will see why later!).  It was time…

So while we were in LA, we asked Dan and Nick – affectionately known as “The Dudes” to take care of the trees for us.  Dan owns a landscaping business.  As you have probably gathered, we could keep them busy for years!

This is the best picture we have before the trees in the front of the house were felled.

We will certainly miss the shade provided by the maples in the summer since the front of the house faces mostly south.  However, now I am not stricken by stress and anxiety every time the wind blows!

I’m not sure we will be able to estimate the age of this one (tree was to the left if looking at picture above) – where are the rings!!!

  

What do you see?  I see Grimace!  I think this may make a killer piece of art!

Thinking about making a chess/checkers table out of the stump!

The other tree (to the right if looking at the picture of the house above) was much healthier.

Now we have some nice hardwood for fires!

Then, a Spruce tree along our driveway decided it was time to fall…all on it’s own.

Got to test out my newly tuned up/sharpened chain saw (thanks, Pop!).  Not gonna lie, chainsawing stuff makes me feel very manly!

The Dudes showed up with their landscaping truck to help haul off branches!  The Dudes are awesome!

Some booty that Ceola found while we were cleaning up the spruce tree.  The antler has become the dogs’ favorite toy while outside.  Ceola carries it around like a trophy and guards it from Tecumseh.  In this picture she is just checking that he isn’t around to steal her antler!

The last tree that needed to be removed was another Spruce that cast a huge shadow on our planned market garden space.  The sun actually sets right behind this tree and not having it should give us some good early evening sun in the summer.  Dan and Nick also took care of this tree while we were away!

Speaking of our market garden, as you saw in a previous post, we plan to put about a 75’x75′ area behind the main house into production for the first season of Infinity Gardens.

Here we are doing some field prep.  We marked off the area and began to spread manure we got from a friend who raises cattle.  We also had to spread some lime.  Our soil was slightly nitrogen and phosphorus deficient so these amendments are only the start.  As we get into our crop rotations, more amendments and proper cover crops will be added to increase/stabilize soil health in this area as well as across the property.

 

Manure and Lime amendments spread.

That’s where we are at right now.  Just waiting for the right time to plow up the sod and disc the newly turned soil.  It’s about to get real, People!