Hazelnut Bushes Planted

As I mentioned before I had been thinking of creating a Victory Garden for some time. Back in September I had placed an order with a nursery up in Minnesota for 5 Dawn Redwood trees and two hazelnut bushes/plants. I wanted to plant them in October so the tap roots would have time to dig in and acclimate to our soil before the plants went dormant. (I should also say that I am a complete newbie at gardening so if I mention something that just seems completely ass backwards feel free to send me a comment correcting it or suggesting a better idea.)

Well September came and went and so to did October and no word from the company. Nor where there any charges placed against my credit card. No big deal, we have a lot going on, we're planning an addition on the house and the old farm house itself needs lots of work. I figured I would purchase the plants in early April instead.

Then two weeks ago I get this Abbot and Costello moment at work. My cell phone had been off for a few days so I turn it on and check my voice mail. There's a message from a lovely woman named Alice, who sounds about 175 years-old, from the Minnesota nursery asking me to return her call as my order is now ready to ship.

So I call Alice back and ask what happened, I put the order in two and a half months ago? She says they don't ship trees and shrubs/bushes till the plants go dormant. (Would have been nice to see that on their web site). They also don't charge credit card orders until they are ready to ship and the card I has submitted was refused when they went to charge it.

I explained I had cancelled that card between the time I ordered the plant and when they went to ship it. But now I didn't want to go through with the order as I had wanted to get these plants in the ground in October. Alice suggested a Spring shipment and assured me the plants would take fine if I put them in the ground in early spring.

Fine by me says I so I offer her another credit card - my American Express. They don't take American Express. At this point, considering all that's happened I just say ok, I'll just find another nursery to put the order in with. Alice then explains we could do an invoice/check order.

Since she was pleasant I figure, what the hell. I say OK, why don't we have these ship the first week of April and include an invoice with them and I'll send you a check then. Alice agrees. Hurray for commerce!

We hang up both satisfied at the outcome of the call. Literally a minute later Alice calls me back. Um, the plants had already shipped. I question why since this was a credit card order and the card was rejected. Alice doesn't know but wonders if I can pay with a check now (it's $47.00) and I say yes and say I'll just get all the information from the invoice. Alice says there was no invoice.

I really wanted to laugh at the whole event at this moment. I mean, I understand they are a farm/nursery and all that but c'mon Alice, it's a business as well. Let's get our act together here. Anyway, I wasn't overly thrilled about getting plants in November as being new at this I didn't want to store them over the winter.

Fortunately, or sadly, if I think it is due to global warming, we are having a mild November. So Saturday, the 25th I planted the two hazelnut bushes out along the fenceline where we'll also put up some blueberries in the spring. The dawn redwoods I placed around the new fire pit I dug (I'm placing a small stone wall there today). That will look great in about five years as these trees can grow 5-8 feet a year in their infancy. It'll be a nice little camping spot with the kids in the future.

I'll post pics soon.