In the Ground at Last!

Months of digging and hauling and raking and hefting bags of compost and finding and assembling the raised beds and today was the day, the Cornus alba Sibrica moved into their forever home.
My heat sank this morning when  I woke to see frost on the grass, but it quickly dissipated. As if the last word of a pointless argument--winter is on its way out!

They don't look like much here, but they are out of their bag and trimmed--I averted my eyes while Angie did the deed..

In place and looking happy --or so I like to think--and watered in. The soil is warm, the raised bed should keep them a bit warmer and reduce the risk of wind rock, so we decide to cover them with fleece at soil level but not the elaborate creations we were preparing. We'll see. The next few days look balmy enough, but the worst winds often wait til March to blow a hoolie.

Angie  appeased my pruning terrors by assuring me the cuttings would live again as new plants.  We'll see.