HUG Planting Day!

The clock keeps moving forward, regardless of how we feel, physically....

Today is my "Habitat Urban Gardens" planting day. David Craig, the Master Gardener who started the program, was here yesterday to review the plans, plants and choices. He gave me specific instructions to help with the digging today. He'll even plant my grapes for me!

My yard and garden are planned as an exhibition garden, to show the community how to incorporate edible plants in the landscape. I have 5 fruiting trees, along with Blueberries and Asparagus, as permanent plantings. Today, we are putting in the perrenial ornamentals, and the last of the perrennial edibles for this year. There are still more berry plants to come. I hope that in 5 years, the 4-H Club and the local schools will bring groups by and visit my garden, with the intent to practice the same concepts in other gardens around Knox County.

I have a somewhat smallish lot, but it's plenty big enough to do what I've planned for it. The fruiting trees are semi-dwarf, and won't get taller than 12-15 feet, except for the Turkey Fig, which will get about 25' tall. That one is shading my A/C unit, so it doesn't work so hard in the summer. Good planning goes a long way! I'll post photos later today, to show the finished plantings, although the full impact won't be seen for several years to come.

I figure I have a 25 year mortgage, and a 20 year landscape plan. The last 5 years, I can just sit back, pay my mortgage, and enjoy my home; renewing my annuals, tomatoes and cucumbers as the seasons pass.