Signs of Spring

My orchard is planted!

I worked in the winter rain digging new homes for sleeping roots; gently pressing soil around smooth bark and rough hewn tree stakes; cold wet hands tying strips torn from my son's old shirt.

I have two cherries, two plum, two pears and five apples. I have three different hazels (filberts) and just to keep them company I have strawberries, raspberries and even a blueberry in a pot.

And they are waking up - all of them. They have toughened out everything that a Peak District winter could throw at them - snow, gales, minus nineteen degrees and all of them are beginning to show signs of spring. I'm relieved and excited. Soon there should be tiny fresh green leaves and maybe even blossom!

Today my gorgeous friend gave me some white crocus bulbs to plant around my trees. How lovely!

Now my blog has renewed purpose and I'll grow it along with my fruit. I will keep it up to date from here with how the fruit trees are getting on and the other work I have planned for the orchard, along with fruit recipes - successes and failures. I can hardly wait to see what emerges. In the next post I'll give a bit more detail on the species of trees I have chosen and why and where I got them from.

For now my trees have all survived and I'm a happy nearly spring bunny!