I have access to some grafted fruit trees for not much money, and ... is it worth planting them? Will I be here long enough to enjoy the fruit?
A place I go out the road to get fruit sometimes is a large plot of land with a ton of fruit trees. So much more than the owners can use, so they kindly provide u-pick at a discount. And they told me that the people they bought from had planted those trees like in their 70s. The thing is, the house and location is very nice so that house probably cost at least $750K, probably closer to a million, and most people that can afford a house like that don't really want the work of maintaining dozens of fruit trees. (Though, if I think about it - I'm not certain that they bought the land with the house on it; the house seems to be very much to the standard and style of the people currently living there.) Yes, it's a wonderful idea to plant for the future, and I have wonderful apple, pear, and green plum trees. But even my neighbors don't know how to handle the fruit - they just let it drop and mold. It's so sad. But to be fair to them, I put a ton of work into using it and not everyone wants to do that.
We live in a supermarket world, not an orchard one. Of course there are outliers who want to nurture these trees, but do I really want to plant something and nurture it along for years until I leave, and then the next person doesn't want them? Like, I picked cherries one year at a person's house because her husband is deathly allergic. they need to remove that tree - or like me. I had to remove the fig blocking my backdoor because I'm so allergic to figs. It was a gorgeous fig and that bummed me out, but oh well.
Do I know that whoever comes after me will want the landscaping I've done? No, not at all. I mean, I do think landscaping with native plants especially in the front yard is probably a good idea because of not needing to irrigate once established, etc. Obviously some landscape architect would come and start from scratch because I'm not professionally trained - I just pop things in where it feels good. But do I think that whoever comes next will appreciate my completely mulched with wood chips yards? No. I'm not in denial about that. I'm sure they'll clear it and lay sod probably at least in the backyard and especially if they have children (which would be nice - there seem to be zero children in a neighborhood enclave, which I think is very strange and it would be great for this area to transition to one with children of all ages because it's set up nicely for that). And they can do whatever they want to do. I would be sad if they cut down the apple tree that I think is so gorgeous and feeds me so well (I still have apples in my crisper drawer and I dehydrated heaps), but it's none of my business after I leave. I know how to let things go and move on.
**
Now it's Saturday morning and it's already sunny and I have so many things I want to do today both inside and out. One thing I've been struggling with is reading the book I started - The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami. It's about a woman who is in detention because of dreams she's alleged to have had. It's incredibly depressing in large part because it seems not far from where we are now. I'm terrified of AI and the state of our government and all the horrible things going on. It feels like any one of us could be detained for something as bizarre as reported dreams. I do want to keep reading though in case it gets an optimistic turn, but every time I pick it up I fall asleep or am distracted by something else. It's due this week so I need to either commit or give up.
I've made some good progress on the quilt though it mocks me with how much more there is to do, and my hand is feeling the strain. Push, but not too hard, or I'll have to go back to PT and be in too much pain. I will feel incredibly gratified when I finish this damn thing, which I started in about 2007 or 2008.
Cleaning absolutely needs to happen. And the outdoor things I absolutely must finish up so I can get peas in the ground, finish all native plants planting, etc. I may skip pruning this year because I don't actually know wtf I'm doing, and I think what I'll do is get flagging tape to mark branches this summer to remove next winter, and I'll go to one of the pruning classes I've seen advertised. I did go to one a few years ago but I didn't retain information - it's not really something i understand. I mean, of course I can do basics - I prune the fuck out of my grapes each year. But, I grew up in a world of wild forests, so pruning is foreign to me. I have a lot to learn. I've paid a guy the last few years and he is wonderful and I really like him and supporting him, but that's money I could save. And I do want to save, of course. I'm being a bit spendthrift with food this month so far though - I've eaten out twice already (salad with falafel yesterday, sandwich the day before that). But, I have some credits that I can apply to food purchases (credit card rewards, bottle returns), so I can spend more and not exceed my budget. It feels very indulgent and I'm in a state of mind to appreciate it. I do though need to ask them to put the salad dressing on the side next time as there was too much of it. I want to be more conscious about my oil consumption.
Also cooking of course needs to happen. The sourdough smells so good, hopefully it's ready for some baking.
Looking forward to it warming up more and getting out to scrub the windows and siding and trim. It'll be quite a task to do well (and lead to other tasks such as painting and regrettably needing to make or fix screens which I will inevitably wreck as I always do), but I will feel so good when it's done and my house is sparkling clean outside. I'm really excited that I'm nearing the end of the urgent things to be done and now I can settle into the more regular tasks. The patio should hopefully last several more years and I'll just need to do some wiping down each spring - repairing and refinishing that was a massive task. All the mulching and garden setting up and planting - these things have all been a lot. The massive kitchen gutting, the bathroom remodel - all these things are a lot on top of work and life. But now I get to sit back and enjoy a lot of this work.
OK, dog says it's time to finish coffee and head outside, and she's usually right.
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