in they go

The apple trees arrived yesterday, and their bare roots have been soaked in water overnight, ready for planting today.

This afternoon, D and I were the ones getting soaked as we filled the holes with a mixture of compost, wood ash and the soil removed when we dug the holes a couple of weeks ago. We put in a stake next to each sapling, and a tree protector to stop the predations of deer and rabbits. Lastly we watered it with a mixture of water from the burn and "worm juice" from our wormery. I was singing wassailing songs, remembered from our choir concert last month :-). The varieties we planted today were :


Arthur Turner
Howgate Wonder
Laxton Fortune
Galloway Pippin
Allington Pippin
Devonshire Quarrenden

D was wearing Michael's old Barbour and I had on his wellies. His brother John kindly said we could have them when he was clearing out Michael's cottage and it's nice to think of him when we wear them. 

Jess isn't in the picture but she was nearby, looking for voles in the tussocky grass and getting very wet in the burn...