BROKEN OAK HILL(R Dispatches from the heart of Wisconsin Main Photo: A scene from a few years ago, when the yellow iris were in full bloom along the south fence. The house and fence are gone, but the irises have returned.
Important dates
July 25-27
Minneapolis will be the site of the American Tree Farm Convention for 2013. Woodland owners and forestry professionals will gather to discuss creating Healthy Forests for a Healthier Future. More information is available at the ATF website.
Escape Wisconsin
We took a coast to coast road trip -- Newport, R.I., to San Diego -- dodging two major winter storms. We had a schedule to meet, so most of our ground-level view of America was at 70 mph, but it gave us a real feel for how vast the country is. For more on the trip, click here.
Firewood
For Sale
We have apple firewood for sale. The trees we are cutting have never been sprayed and the supply is limited. Apple is great for cooking or smoking meats and makes a colorful fire in the fireplace. You can pick it up or delivery can be arranged. To find out more, or to order, email us using the Contact US page on the website or at debauntree
farm@yahoo.com.
Other broken oaks
A website devoted to Indian trail marker trees may offer some clues about our own "broken oak."
At the Farm
Summer makes a cool entrance
It was a welcome sight to see a few of the pale yellow iris blooming again along the south side of the yard. It was just two years ago when we turned the place into a construction site for the new house, and some of the iris got buried under the mound of dirt dug out for the basement - but not before we transplanted a few by the asparagus patch.
We moved some of them back last fall, and they made their grand reappearance to start off the month of June. They are not a brilliant enough color to make big hit at a flower show, but after 50 years of enjoying them, it is good to see them back.
We're planning to bring back another important piece of the past later this summer, but you'll have to check out the latest At the Farm report to find out what that is.
Woodland News and Notes
Drought and invasives and other bad stuff
At a woodland owners' conference, we learned what our trees suffered through in the drought of 2012 and what we can expect in the coming year (or years) as a result. The session in Oshkosh, co-sponsored by the UW Extension, also covered deer population questions, how to protect yourself from lyme disease and more effective ways to fight invasives like buckthorn and garlic mustard.
Our report has the details.
Escape Wisconsin
A mix of white pine, oak and maple surrounds Walden Pond
Rambling around Walden Pond
In 2012, we were fortunate enough to visit three sites dedicated to great American environmentalists, each contributing to our view of natural resource stewardship - John Muir's woods in California, Aldo Leopold's shack in Wisconsin and Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Walden was a great place to visit on a beautiful fall day and to contemplate the works of a man who preached simplicity.
For a visit to this historic pond, click here.
