A Holiday-appropriate post:
The City gave us a tree. Yeah, I know the last thing we need is another tree. But this tree has perks. It's a sugar maple. My romanticism projects great things upon this tree: syrup in the spring. Vibrant foliage in the Fall. Branches for climbing. . .
Our lot is packed with oaks that have grown upwards in forest conditions. There are no "tire swing" branches. The nearest branch to the ground is twenty feet up and reaching stiffly up to the sky. This baby tree will be pruned to grow into a full, rounded shape. Maybe ten years down the road it will be strong enough climbing.
As for syrup, I have read that it could take up to 25 years for our little tree to offer up good sap. But we could always give it a try a decade sooner...
And colour-- that is a guarantee. Even this fall, the handful of leaves already grown should offer up more colour than most of our other trees combined.
We've planted out front so it will be the first thing you see when you turn into the driveway. Years from now, in early Autumn, I hope to see a huge splash of orange and red when I take that last turn towards home. Until then, we wait.
Happy Canada Day
Tip from mom in-law: To keep the smell and mess down, keep your household compost open to the air, and in a small plastic container, like a yogurt or margarine tub. It fills quickly, but this forces you to go dump it frequently. If you don't want to stare at a yogurt tub all day, hide it inside something pretty.
Our very first garden flower. We planted it on Monday after working for hours on a set of raised beds out front. A month ago Aidan built the first level out of old barn beams. Strapped for cash, we stopped there, until his ingenuity kicked in and he suggested we make the second level out of logs of firewood. Brilliant! The visual effect is fabulous: woodsy and organic. Note: Babies & gardening don't get along. They both require your full attention.
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We have our very own veggy patch! Aidan's parents helped get us started. Without them I would likely have remained suspended in procrastination. Held up by the intimidation of my own ignorance. Gardening? What's that? What do you call that thingy with the metal claws? Oops! I killed the bushy green thing. Was I supposed to water that?
In the ground, spreading tiny networks of roots and shoots, we now have: red-leaf lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, baby carrots and peppers. 
