Three hundred major specimen trees were planted six years ago. Each seemed small and isolated, alone in the field. But no more. A milestone has been reached.
Walking across the field last evening, I came across two scarlet Oaks, growing together and touching. It's the first time any of the specimen trees has joined with another. It will take another century or two to appear, but the intended result is starting to show.
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| 2011. Leaves at the end of the Scarlet Oak branches start to touch. |
Placed closely to form a quick visual mass the Scarlet Oaks, Liquidambers, Walnuts, Golden Elms and London Planes are planted in groups of not less than twenty of each variety
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| 2011. The trees above are, left to right, Scarlett oak, Golden Elm, Scarlet Oak, Liquidamber. |
It started as bare ground and tough ground at that. Just an inch of turf with river gravel beneath. No nutrients and doesn't hold water. Every single tree has it's own dripper irrigation system.
This is how it was in late 2005 six years ago. The bright green tree guards in the distance mark the oaks that have now grown so well.
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| 2005. New trees. London plane in front. Golden Elm to the left. Scarlet to the middle and right. |
The grass was short back then. Before we fenced the rabbits out.