Bonsai Apple Tree Is Getting Friends

Today was dentist for last check on implant before the new tooth can be installed. Two hours, 30 minutes of driving for a 10 minute appointment.

I couldn't let the fact that I was within range of other garden centers be ignored. So, the first plant I bought was not a commitment to a new garden... it could go in my front bed. But then I found another one. When I find plants that were already on the wish list but for half to 2/3 the price, and I can actually see the plant I'm getting...

I have now moved beyond dreaming. This will be a years-long project, but that gives me something to do as I get old, right?

Back to the beginning. Yes, it's an apple tree. No, it's not been trained as a bonsai, but it's so asymmetrical and melodic that I like to think of it that way. It's been featured fairly often by itself- link below has three different "moods" of the apple tree. It's also a giant pain in the patootie to mow around. I've thought about cutting it down more than once.

Instead, I'm putting a garden around it. This will be a moon garden. Those feature plants with white flowers and silver/white foliage that glow in the night. Fragrant plants are also important. Here's the tree with a few scattered pots of things. I also see it's sending out some suckers that need to be trimmed, so I guess that will make it a bonsai!

The first thing I did was mark the area of deepest shade with some spray paint. The entire area has both sun and shade, so that allows me a nice variety of plants.

I used all my dead hoses and pieces of hoses to roughly define the edge, and then the pathways. I'd already worked some of this out on graph paper, but I really wanted to see if those dimensions worked on the ground.

Laid out some of the pieces of broken concrete blocks and bricks I still have to start envisioning the paths. I'm going to be looking for people who want to give up piles of broken blocks or old bricks. I will come get them.

There will be a bench. This isn't it, but it's roughly the same size as what I want, so it makes a good placeholder.

The layout on the graph paper is basically a starting point. If I think things look better a different way as I progress, I can just change 'em. But it would be nice to have the structural things more or less stay put.

Now for the commitment. I actually started digging dirt for a while this afternoon. This always goes slowly- digging up grass for the first time. But I was pleased to discover that the soil underneath isn't too bad. I'm putting in a few things I got today and locating them near each other. None of these will ultimately be in this location, but for now it will at least be the beginning of a grouping. Some of these are annuals. 50% off by this time of year! I'll show and tell when at least this bunch is planted.

Found one plant for the rock garden. You'll see it soon. Pet peeve of the day- garden centers that don't label plants, and when they do, many of them are wrong. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure I know what plants I actually bought. I asked the person what kind of plant one of them was. She said, "Sedum." I tried not to roll my eyes. Apparently she doesn't know there are hundreds of sedums. OK, I just looked it up to be accurate. There are between 400 and 500 different sedums.

I did not do any work on editing or other projects. If I don't get to those in the morning, by afternoon, I'm just itching to get outside, especially since most of this morning was spent in the car. Had to get moving earlier than I like again this morning.

Tomorrow, I work. That may require all my energy. We'll see.

Should I have started this? I dunno. I probably shouldn't be spending money on plants. I probably should be working harder on house repairs and sorting stuff. But I gave in to temptation today.

See Three Tales of a Tree