Coming Home: Red Light, Green Light!

Today was a good day. We passed the plumbing re-inspection and the electrical re-inspection. And the quince that my better half’s grandmother planted and we transplanted are blooming.

The building progress is catching the fever and blooming as well.

However, Monday was quiet. Everyone stayed away except for Builder Gary, because the weather man was so dire in his storm predictions. The storm didn’t come through until quitting time. It wasn’t too terrible, although we did lose a tree.

As you can see, the tree was not faring too well, so it all works out.

And then, as if on cue, we got an exciting delivery we had been waiting for:

My favorite rock star had drawn a magnificent plan for screening the guard rail and our house from our next door neighbor (and vice versa). And she had put me in touch with Perry Walker of Walker Nursery Farms.

Guess what this truck had in it?

Two deodor cedars,

(one grizzled foreman) a truck load of Emily Brunner hollies (11 to be exact),

(now *that’s* a holly!)

and five cryptomeria. Here they are all bundled up.

The planting crew went ahead and planted the cryptomeria yesterday. They will eventually grow together and provide a screen for the back yard.

This morning when I got there after taking one of my offspring to the dentist, Builder Gary was helping them out with digging the holes.

It went a lot faster this way!

Meanwhile, in the background, or should I say, “Ring Number Two,” the roofers were starting the shingles.

Here are Rings Two and Three with the roofers on the left and the framers on the right.

I couldn’t resist getting a preview once they were all placed. They look like Christmas trees all tied up like that.

It was so interesting that they plant the burlap bag and the wire cage. This keeps the soil from washing away from the roots and protects the newly pruned roots until the burlap begins to rot.

They cut away the top of the burlap where the feeder roots can start getting established,

and they mound the dirt up around the root ball, creating a saucer to hold water.

Once they got the hollies all planted and mulched with pine straw, I couldn’t help myself and started cutting the binding twine and fluffing them. Aren’t they gorgeous? What a great looking screen!

It looks good from our side, too.

And here are the two deodor cedars with the Bracken Brown Beauty magnolia in the background. When these all get big, it will be like a magical forest.