Early spring is a great time to move trees. The ground is soft and the trees ready to grow! At Glendale, we scouted the back field (planted in 2015 with pine) for Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), between 4 and 7 feet tall, with the aim to create a natural, native border between Cheatham’s Road and the farm.
Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Redcedar) is a versatile, native tree grown in gardens and across landscapes for centuries, by George Washington (1732-1799) at Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) at Monticello and Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) at the Hermitage. It’s fast growing, disease resistant, provides natural habitat, and smells great!
We planted our trees about 6 meters apart (that’s about 20 feet for you non-archaeologists). Each tree has a tap root and root mass about 2 feet across and about a foot deep (not an extensive root system!). We gave each tree a couple of gallons of water, a T-post and a friendly, encouraging word.
Settled in, we also found a lovely redbud and a holly in the woods across the road that Brendan’s aunt owns. It feels good to bring shaded trees out from the woods and into the foreground. Hurrah for the natives!