New Baby - New Tree

In March and April of 2013, I became a grandmother to two exquisite children.  Lennox and Jack.  They are the delights of my life!  I adore being a grandmother.

When my daughters-in-law told me that they were expecting and that our family was going to grow, then and there I made a decision.  No advice!  I was going to trust them to raise their own children.

Even though my own children are grown, I still get advice on how to raise them.   I can't remember any unasked for advice being helpful.  This unsolicited advice also smelled of criticism.  So I am not going to go down that road.

If I don't give advice, I certainly will never criticize!  Laura and Medea are loving, smart and sensible mothers.  They are both amazing parents.  I am so thrilled that my grandchildren have such wonderful beginnings in life. If they want my input, they know they can ask.  In the meantime, I'm going to keep my damn mouth closed.

I feel my job as Nana is to provide support, encouragement, gifts and love.  The hard part is down to the parents.

When the boys were born, an apple tree was planted on their behalf in the garden.  It follows a tradition that began when George was tiny and we planted a walnut tree for him.  I planted two Bramley's Seedling apple trees in celebration of the safe arrival of the grandsons.   I already had a James Grieve and a Discovery apple tree.  Both of those varieties are pollinators for the Bramley.  The Bramley cooking apple needs two pollinators to grow fruit  So now, I've got the set.  See how it all works out?

Four apple trees is plenty for any private garden.  I've got two trees that grow eating apples and two trees that grow cooking apples.  We're set for apple trees.  Maybe one year, We'll have too many apples!   I also have a Victoria plum tree that is coming along slowly.  I bought it at the supermarket one year . . . It's still alive and fruiting so it can stay.

I also have a cherry tree.  It has been sickly and not right ever since we planted it almost 18 years ago.  We have never eaten a single damned cherry from this tree and every year, I say I am going to cut it down and plant something else.  That may happen now.   I need the room.  I have to plant another tree!  My eldest son and his wife are expecting child number two in June.  Yipee! More babies to love!

After getting rid of the blighted cherry tree, I will be prepare the ground for the next tree.