Grand opening of the Mason Bee House in our orchard...

 Have I ever mentioned we have a baby orchard?  We do.  Our orchard consists of: 5 sand cherries, 5 wild plums, 5 Naking Cherries, 9 buffalo berry ( I LOVE buffalo berries), 2 apple trees, 1 cherry tree,  5 chokecherries, 3 Red Lake Currants, 2 mulberry trees, 4 riverbank grapes, 2 black walnuts, and 2 hazelnuts.  I don't expect the nut trees to live, but I'll try anything that cost $3. 

 This year my husband and I have slowly made progress on our fancy fence around the orchard.  He digs the post holes and I watch (as you are all aware I HATE digging post holes).  My job is to use the tamping bar to break things up and loosen rocks.  I also measure and hold things as they are being drilled.  You can't see it very well, but there is a wire fence attached to the back of the posts to keep the deer out.  We may have to attach eye bolts and a swaying rope along the top, but so far the deer have stayed out.  We figure if the plants do die, we have a corral for a horse:)  Not a bad idea either.   

I was finally able to put the mason bee house up.  Since so many asked about mason bees I will add a little educational information:  The orchard mason bee is a wonderful little creature. It does not live in a nest like other bees; it lives in wooden blocks, but does not drill holes and destroy wooden items like other bees. It uses holes that are already available. The male orchard mason bee can not sting and the female rarely stings.  Taken from the National Wildlife Federation website.

http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outdoor-Activities/Garden-for-Wildlife.aspx

In case you didn't guess from the contents of our orchard and my last few posts, I'm a berry fiend.  All of my plants were little twigs from the county extension agency.  I got the Grandma's Jam pack last year and when the plants made it through the winter, my husband and I decided the orchard was a go.  Thus, the fence.  I ordered the fruit and nut pack this year.  

My plants are pretty small.   I do have to practice patience, as it will take years before I see the fruits of our labor.  The pun was intended.  I did get currants.  Not enough for wine or jam.  Any suggestions on what to do with 1 cup of currants would be appreciated.  Except, now that I think about it I don't remember where I put them.  Humm? Busy summer.  Still, they are somewhere, probably the freezer, so I'm still entertaining ideas.  Next year I want to add to my raspberries and try some super hardy blackberries.

We decided to put an orchard here, because the past owner just bulldozed the trees.  I guess to make it look like a nice spot for a house.  We did cut a few trees, because here to plant a tree you have to cut two.  Planting trees is in my blood.  Growing up we planted hundreds of trees on the prairie.  I had to put the rocks somewhere.  I thought a cairn would be appropriate.

 I would also like to use this time to sing the praises of our little Snapper mower.  We've had this mower for 17 years.  The first 7 were spent outside, as we didn't have a shed to put it in.  It has never had the oil changed, and I don't remember the last time I put oil in it.  She starts on the second pull every time, even though the string is shot and I have a twig wrapped around it.  The last 10 years it has only been used for extreme mowing.  The orchard may look flat, but it is full of ruts and old stumps.  It has been a good mower. 

That is about all there is to know about our little endeavor.  I have high hopes that 2 or 3 years from now I will add to the berry posts.  If not you will be seeing photos of a pretty paint pony.  Ha.

Year 1 of the orchard endeavor.