Trees we've ordered

I should take the time to correct the notion that Soggy Bottom Homestead is all about chickens. In fact, we also ordered a number of trees ad shrubs. We got a big variety, mainly to see what will or won't grow well - presumably in the coming years we'd specialize more.

Buying trees involves two problems. The first is that the local nurseries, and many online sellers, tend to sell relatively expensive trees, at $30 or more each. Clearly we need to do better than this.

The second problem is that most of the trees that are available are ornamentals, which is something I frankly can't understand. I mean, why spend a lot of time and money on a plant if you can't subsequently eat it? Who do I look like, Louis XVI or something? And even he had an orangerie.

After some web searching we solved both problems by ordering from the Arbor Day Foundation. For $10, you can get an Arbor Day membership, which entitles you to discounts on the trees from the shop, plus ten free trees (we chose the Wild Bird Garden pack). And, because we ordered so many trees, they threw in two free Forsythias and a free red maple! What are we going to do with a red maple? We don't know yet. In total we got 39 trees/shrubs, for just below $6 each. Arbor Day doesn't have an enormous variety, and if you're looking for local cultivars you're out of luck, but the price is great and the trees are useful. Apparently they will all come as bare root trees sometime between March and May.

We also found that the state of Maryland will give a coupon to buy one native tree at a nursery. And if you're willing to buy trees 50 at a time, you can get them from the state for free. (You do have to show that you actually planted all of the trees, though, so this program is really suitable only for tree farms).

Here's the full list (sorry for the poorly formatted table): 

Tree	Notes
Hazelnut Project Charter Patron (3 free hazelnut bushes)	Kind an impulse buy – we get a new hazelnut cultivar and report on the results. Mmm, nutella.
Arapaho Blackberry	Milburn Orchards, nearby, has blackberries and raspberries and they do well.
Free Red Maple	Free maple!
Early Golden Apricot
Rubel Blueberry	Apparently blueberries like acidic soil, and we already have a few pine trees, so it should be a perfect match.
2 Free Forsythias	Our concession to middle-class conformity.
Early Richmond Cherry (Dwarf)	Subject of a lovely poem by AE Housman, as well as a medieval Christmas carol.
Concord Grape Vine	Bring on the Manischevitz.
Elberta Peach (Dwarf)	I don’t have the heart to tell them they misspelled Alberta.
Damson Plum (Dwarf)	Bring on the Slivovitz.
Kieffer Pear (Dwarf)
Heritage Everbearing Raspberry	Also found at Milburn Orchards.
Sourwood	Apparently the leaves make a good jam.
Dwarf Russian Almond
Fragrant Lilac
Bar Harbor Juniper
2 Pecans	Who cares if it’ll be decades until they mature? I like nuts.
Carpathian English Walnut	Tasty nuts, plus excellent lumber (but not both at the same time).
Witchhazel
Weeping Willow	This is intended for the pond at the back of the property, where we effectively have a natural wetland. Also, having a degree in Classics, I'll be able to finally fulfil my dream of underwater basket-weaving.
4 Baldcypresses	This is a tall, majestic tree that does well in wet areas – it even grows in swamps. The wood is supposed to be very good. One for each of the nieces and nephews!
Blue Hydrangea