Over 500 new trees arrived from the
Clements State Tree Nursery just after the Solstice and just before the snowfall began. We're now in our third week of snow cover. I used
MelissaData to confirm that we have a December and January average temp in Green Spring/Levels (26722) that is only 4 degrees F cooler than Arlington, VA (22201), but that makes all the difference, as there was only flurries and rain in Arlington.
| Wood House Research Farm, January 2013 |
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| A new mixed-species research plot. |
| Nevertheless, so far we've been able to plant 100 redbuds (Cercis canadensis), 75 chestnuts (Castanea mollissima), 50 Virginia pines (Pinus virginiana), and 25 hawthorns (Crataegus phaenopyrum) through the ice and snow. The remaining 75 hawthorns and 100 crabapples (Malus sargentii) are part of a research plot designed with the Appalachian Coal Team experimenting with a new reforestation technology. |
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| A future chestnut crop. |
Interestingly, except for very cold hands, the snow was helpful in insulating and watering the ground below, allowing for a pretty good planting rate when the temperatures were above freezing in the afternoons.
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| The boathouse and stained glass studio after the first snow arrived on December 24. |
