So here's the update. Sometime in July, I hand-pollinated my little tree orchard with a paintbrush and a bottle cap full of captured pollen. I staked the baby orchard, planted marigolds and mint, then discovered that in spite of having a fire hydrant in my front yard, various Ferndale canines favorite "fire hydrant" for their canine needs is the orchard. I vowed not to smell the flowers or eat the mint. How can I protect trees from this? Any ideas?
As for my farming and foraging activities, I ate my Yucca plants, eyed my neighbor's sumac, and then stopped writing and stayed outside for the rest of the summer. I can't promise that I won't do the same thing again now that the snow has caused a friend of mine to proclaim that she will freely share her cross country skis. But first, I would like to comment on a few farming issues and then maybe talk about parenting as promised by my blog description. One, the orchard has survived its first summer and all the trees were thriving as winter approached. I am looking forward to the spring to see if the five dwarf apple, three Red Haven peach and two plum trees will bloom again. I also would like to know if I can plant dwarf fruit trees on the public land between the sidewalk and the street. What if Ferndale became a giant fruit orchard?
I ordered my apple trees from a Michigan company: Grandpa's Orchard. I ordered the peaches and plum trees from out of state at Stark's Nurseries. In both cases I ordered bare root stock and it is quite economical. I think planting two compatible cultivars in your yard would be accomplished for less than the price of filling up your gas tank or dinner for two at a nice restaurant. Sooooo stay home and plant some trees.
Ok, I did find a tie in with parenting here. This is in the category of making Ferndale a connected, community home and a wonderful place to have kids and raise a family from pre-K to 12. Plant trees and support a musician.
Ferndale Public Schools has a rich and celebrated music program and Ferndale is also home to many musicians. I would like to take an informal census here. If you are a musician, and you have a connection with young musicians in the Ferndale schools could you mention what that connection is? You don't have to name names, but I would like to start cataloging all the ways we build a community of musicians and learners. Every note counts.
So this is what I do. I play by ear, and don't read music that well. I play Celtic tunes on the dulcimer, and I make sure my two Ferndale student musicians see me playing this music with their grandfather, and singing the old tunes with their aunts. They even joined in! Their grandparents are at almost every music event at the high school. So that's how I was growing my musicians this holiday season!
So, plant trees, grow musicians. That's my plan for making the world awesome from Ferndale on out.
ps. Since my trees are being pretty boring right now, I have a few pics of some recipes I've been trying at doortodoororganics.com. You can actually support Ferndale musicians by joining the Ferndale Marching Band organic food coop. Ask me how!
