A package arrived on my doorstep today, a big one.  About six feet tall, but less than 12 inches wide, the box contained winter wishes come to life:  alive, but dormant fruit trees. 

A couple of months ago, I ordered two apple trees, 2 elderberries, and one mulberry.  Last week, I received notice that my order was on its way, and I instantly became both excited and nervous.  I’m very much looking forward to adding these plants to my garden, but I’m also a bit nervous because around this time of year Mother Nature is a decidedly undecided about what season she wants it to be. 

Nothing says “spring!” like a delivery of fruit trees.

Realistically, we could receive a blizzard tomorrow.  I’m happy to say, none is forecast, but you never know.  Really.  You never know. This is New England

Right now, it’s raining with more to come tomorrow, so I won’t be planting the trees in the ground, but I will be able to put them in pots I’ve saved so they can comfortably wait until the ground is dry enough to plant them.

A little while ago, I slit open the box FedEx delivered the five little trees in.  All five are dormant, still enjoying their winter’s rest.  Four of them were bare root, meaning there’s no soil, just dry-looking roots.  I transferred the apple trees and elderberries to a bucket of water where they’ll soak overnight and rehydrate their roots.  The fifth is a small mulberry tree, already snug in its own pot.

A visiting deer last spring.

Tomorrow, I’ll move them all to the backyard, pot the apples and elderberries, and place them all in a sunny spot to wait for the ground to dry out so I can dig in the soil.  I’m working on a plan to keep the neighborhood deer from nibbling the young trees to little nubs.

The last time I planted a fruit tree, I spotted a young deer watching me from the edge of the woods.  I ran to the house and brought back a container of cayenne pepper.  A liberal sprinkle on the young trees, repeated as needed, kept them safe until they grew enough to survive a bit of nibbling. 

Spring brings with it awakening plants, along with the return of visitors to the garden like deer venturing out of the woods and bear who’ve been asleep since late in the fall.  Coexisting can be a challenge, but watching wildlife as it moves through the yard is an amazing thing, just like watching dormant dead-looking sticks grow into fruit-bearing trees. 

Deer aren’t the only ones to nibble on young plants in the garden,
though Mr. Bunny says he’ll only eat the weeds.

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