More tree planting

On July 14 my BIL came up and brought me a bucket of cuttings that he had from pruning his Austrees..(hybrid willow) and a potted black walnut that a squirrel had brought in.

Well the walnut went west of the other black walnut growing in the back, so that they will wind pollinate each other, and after spending a few days in the pond the Austree willow cuttings were planted here and there around the property.

I put about 10 of them east of the n/s ditch east of our pond along the property line area..and more on the west side of the same ditch..staggering them to where they will make a fairly consistant screen from the east view.  East of Joel's garage are 2 or 3, then 2 or 3 north of there along the ditch, then across the ditch 2 or 3 east and 2 or 3 west of the mown trail, then farther north the same, 2 or 3 east and 2 or 3 west of the mown trail..and 4 more west of the dtich..with a total of about 18 along the ditch staggaring on both sides and across the trail..so not one solid line north to south, but will appear fairly solid as an eastern shade line.

This will make a pretty consistant wildlife corridor from the  woods to the road. There are also a lot of white pine, red pine and hemlock trees as well as maple, alder, aspen , and other trees and shrubs between these trees, and lots of wildflowers and even some siberian iris and jerusalem artichokes..to add to the screening, wildlife corridor effect.

Then the remaining trees were planted here and there in the yard (2 in Joel's back yard and one by the pond west, and the rest in the woods N.)

Willows are great when grown for wildlife habitat, esp birds. These are a hybrid that is supposed to grow very quickly, up to 10 feet per year topping out from 40 to 65 feet tall when full grown.

I hope we get rain so that they take root quickly and grow fast, we really would enjoy having the taller trees along that ditch esp as there is a great need for shade there.

We will continue to put in trees, seed, cuttings, etc when they come available ..esp fruit trees..in these areas to continue to bring the more open land into a more wooded setting in the future, and esp food forest type settings .