When the property was first purchased, the orchard area was overgrown with roses and scotch broom. There were three old Italian plums and an old man walnut. These trees were our inspiration for planting the orchard. Fencing had to happen first to keep out the deer. We planted We planted 2-5 year old trees plus grafted ones - various apples and pears onto resilient root stocks.

Over the years we have pulled some of the initial plantings and replaced them with more Italian plums so you will see a variety in the size and age of trees. Now, we keep the mature trees pruned to a height that doesn’t require a lot of ladder time during harvest. The older you get the more you want to keep your feet on the ground.

After we planted the fruit trees we planted a wind break and privacy screen on the north and east sides of the orchard. The windbreak has grown so much and is now a shelter for birds. On the south side we planted shrubs that wouldn’t grow too high. The area is wetter so we planted the blueberries there too.