Southern Magnolia

It arrived yesterday evening, just before dark and while I was watering.  The dogs started barking and here came neighbor Leo's white truck bearing a large tree that he'd been promising to bring us for months now.  He'd augered a hole for it in the field outside the orchard garden last weekend, so we were ready.  It was dark as we followed the truck that carried it to the place where it was to be planted.

In the morning light, this poor tree has been pretty stressed and is in bad shape -- the whole upper half of it looks dead as a doornail.  But there is still new growth coming in at the bottom, so we hope for the best. 

This morning, with the sun already beating down and a forecast of 97 degrees, we got it in the ground. 


I gave it a ring of rocks, a thick mulch and a long, slow soak from the hose.  We've done what we can -- now we'll see what happens. 


A ring of rocks works wonders.  Our new tree has exactly six leaves.

It looks like I planted a stick.  Fingers crossed.

On a sadder note, our little tabby cat, Mulligan, has been missing since Saturday.  I fear that she's been taken by a coyote.  With our many cats over the years, this has happened very infrequently.  But it does happen.  I still have a glimmer of hope that she'll turn up, hungry and demanding to be fed.  But it's only the merest glimmer.  I miss my girl.