when can i have plums?

the apple trees at the shack are very, very old and i've been, lately not so subtly, trying to convince certain someone that perhaps it was time to plant new trees. options were cherry and plum...i kinda wanted one of each but plum won. i'm sure i have the details of what kind of plum, and will share the info, if and when i find it...

garden area is very mature, the house was built in 1938. i was surprised to find that the soil is very rich, full of worms, under the 5 inch tightly packed to layer, that is. plums should be planted on a slightly elevated spot as they need good drainage. that is something i read and was something i was trying to do when choosing this spot. although the lawn area is quite big, there's winds, snow in winter and shade from other trees to consider. i hope the plum likes it here.

i used the same root-proof landscaping fabric as in the raised beds. i had this cute picture in my head, i'd plant some tiny flowers around the tree, but decided that i better make sure the plum makes till next year, at least, before dressing it up.

not everyone might have done this, more of the landscaping fabric...

...and mulch on top and around the tree. this would have been ideal, but there are villains...

...and protective fence in needed. good luck trying your teeth on this you &#¤! rabbits!

"sewing" wire wasn't easy and another kind of fencing will be used on future projects. it took me longer to make this than it took to remove the soil and plant the tree, and my hands were bleeding from the sharp edges as i'm really bad at wearing gloves. and that is why my hands suck up enormous amounts of moisturizer, when i remember to apply it...

elsewhere is the garden muscari have finally popped up properly and are feeding the bees.

these daffodils show up faithfully every spring. i don't know who has planted them, or when. i like their shape and the coloring.

this is one of the tulips that, when still bulbs, i first forgot to plant, the ones that might have gotten frost bite, the ones that i thought wouldn't even show up. they've been very slow to open...

...but i'm loving the colors, can't wait to see how they look when all open.

this is another mystery, how it ever got where it is...love the palest of yellow.

does anyone know what this is? another surprise visitor, i could bet money (if i was of the betting kind, that is) that it wasn't there last summer, nor earlier. i have a vague recollection that i tossed some seeds a few summers ago, could these be those? if so, what are they? i so need to start a gardening journal, with the raised beds it's important to remember what was growing where in order to fight plants pests and disease.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE NIECE!