Underneath

On top, the soil looks like a dry, cracked and dusty gray stone.

But underneath...roots tangle, worms slither and grubs battle. Underneath a whole world erupts, struggles and thrives.

Underneath. Back stage. Behind the curtain.

It’s where the work starts and where the foundation must be built strong.

When we planted trees a few weeks ago, they all looked like a brown sticks jutting out of the ground.

We planted them in good, well-drained soil.

We mulched and we watered and we mulched some more.

Then we left them.

For days and days, nothing happened…above ground that is.

But now leaves are budding.

Underneath, the roots were making friends and allies and were hard at work getting those leaves to bud.

The roots are fully engaged and strong.

There will be small skirmishes with Japanese beetles and aphids or deer or some other pesky nuisance, but the roots are primed for the tree to succeed.

There is no turning back now.

A good foundation
A place that it all begins
The root of it all