An Official Orchard

 Last week, DH and I layed out the pipe that will supply the orchard with water. 

We rolled out 280' from the orchard to our spring and plumbed it in

We're still researching watering systems for the individual trees and will add a few more hydrants, but we're leaning towards a drip system. This project will be a work on progress.

He also dug the holes for the trees 

and then we went to pick some of them up from Jaimee on Monday

I took her some eggs and she gave us a bottle of Mesquite Bean Syrup. It is so sweet and good. She said it is excellent on pancakes and that she uses it as you would use honey when you run out of honey. It is high in iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium, and I've now added that to my list to make.

She is grafting some specialty trees for us, but they won't be ready until September

DH wanted one heirloom apple tree that will be bigger, in the back of the house so he moved a few rocks

Dug a hole

And brought in a load of manure

We mixed  it in with topsoil and fertilizer and potting soil from Jaimee

And we have our first tree! 

And an official orchard!

Well, there are more to plant, but we got 6 in the ground on Tuesday.

Lots of time behind the shovel and that's about all I can handle. We're sore and tired, but excited about the possibilities

and hopeful that our project will one day bear fruit.