In a lot of ways I feel rejuvenated. It's a glorious morning as I am driving down to Pittsburgh with the local radio station playing a mix of old and new that elevates my mood, the sun shining strong through the sun roof.
I am on my way to buy plants. I have a list in my pocket and I expect that I'll be coming home with a few of them. I had hoped to buy spicebush and maybe serviceberry, in addition to what I did end up buying. As I talk to people there, I use the term "food forest" because that's about the closest definition to what I'm trying to do, although it's also not the best one.
What I'm more interested in doing is creating a refuge. A place for a weary traveler in the future to stop, rest under the trees and have access to wild strawberries and blueberries (which sadly didn't take last year), apples etc.
A place of respite rather than a place that can self maintain itself over time, although I do know that is exactly what I'm doing with these perennials, the seeds will be eaten, transported, spread and that helps create another forest, another place of rest. A sort of legacy in it's own right.
I also understand that not everything that I've planted here is a native, and I'm okay with that even though I know that the Kousa Dogwood I have out front is producing fruit, and besides, it's a plant that is interesting visually which is what attracted me to it in the first place.
The Lilac bush I planted is more for the interesting history and "someone lived here statement" more than part of any food forest.
So, what did I buy at the Native plant swap? And better yet why?
A Pawpaw. To be honest with you I was not expecting to find one, much less buy one. It is not a rare tree but one that can be sensitive to the environment. They will take some time to mature and fruit, and will take at least 3 years before the tree can even be sexed, as determined by the flowers. The fruit is basically a superfood but doesn't store well and rots quickly. Plus, other animals will eat it before you are even aware it's ripe. The fruit of the Pawpaw is considered a superfood.
American Persimmon. Another fruiting tree, with a honey peach and mango taste. Its fruit is a reminder of our time in Florida, as the fruit does have an orange like appearance. It's also high in nutrition, anti-oxidants and a variety of other vitamins and minerals. It can be eaten raw and cooked and stored in a variety of ways. It also maintains its fruit for some time.
I had wandered into the plant sale with the intention of spending less than $100 dollars. I dropped $70 on those two plants alone They were barely out of the seedling stage so I repotted them into a large container with the intention of keeping them in said container for at least a year, then I'll replant them on the hill beside my house.
Out of everything however, it was the tree that I was not expecting to buy that I feel the most pride in buying. It's a Bur Oak.
I had not really considered planting an oak tree, it's a very common plant in and around PA (although it is more common in the American Midwest). It's a slow growing plant and the chances are that I will never see the first fruiting, since it takes about 20 years for it to produce acorns. Which are rich in fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, B-vitamins. They do need to be cooked or processed in some way to eat but it's a good source of food for my "traveler" to have. It's a tree that supports a variety of wildlife.
Given that they may live anywhere to 300 to 500 years, and support various animals and plant life long after it's gone...while that seems like a good legacy to have. Maybe, one day in the not so far off future I will carve my name and year into the bark. A reminder that I was here and was trying to do something to make this life a little more bearable.
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