This week at Aaron’s arboretum feels big.
We filled baskets with food from the garden.
We set nine new maple trees into the ground.
We flew the drone and saw the whole property from the sky.
In other words, the dream is turning into a real, living place.
Tree by tree.
Row by row.
Shot by shot.
You and I are walking this land together.
We feel the Simple Dog Training soil.
We watch the roots.
We see the vision grow.
A Living Tree Museum In The Making
An arboretum is more than a yard with trees.
It is a planned collection.
Each tree has a purpose.
Some teach.
Some feed wildlife.
Some hold rare genetics.
Public gardens call an arboretum plant hoarder a living tree museum.
That same idea works here on Aaron’s land.
Every new maple is a piece of a bigger picture.
Each planting day adds one more brushstroke to the canvas.
Instead of random shade trees, this property is building a clear story.
It is about food.
It is about fall color.
It is about wildlife and people sharing space.
We are not just filling holes.
We are building a collection with purpose.
The Food Harvest That Fuels The Work
This week brought a huge harvest.
Baskets of produce came out of the beds.
Tomatoes, greens, peppers, fruit, and more.
Enough food to feed the crew and share with friends.
That harvest is not a side note.
It is the fuel.
Food from the garden:
- Keeps everyone strong for long work days
- Proves the soil is healthy and alive
- Shows that trees and crops can share the same land
After more than a few seasons, The Conversation That Kept Going a place like this starts to hold its own rhythm.
Spring brings blossoms and early greens.
Summer fills the beds with vines and fruit.
Fall brings full baskets and long shadows.
The arboretum may focus on trees, yet the food rows and beds around them make the whole site feel complete.
Nine New Maples In The Ground
The headline of the week is simple.
Nine new maples now live in this soil.
Maple trees bring shade, color, and structure.
Many species also support birds, insects, and small mammals through nectar, seeds, and shelter.
Planting each maple takes care and time.
Here is the basic flow on a good planting day:
- Mark the spot
We look at the future shape of the tree.
We give it room to grow wide and tall.
Spacing now avoids root and branch problems later. - Drill or dig the hole
The auger comes out.
The drone watches from above.
The hole is wide, not too deep, so roots can spread out and the trunk flare sits just above the final soil level. - Set the tree
Roots are fanned out, not jammed downward.
The tree sits straight.
The crown rests slightly higher than the ground so settling does not bury it. - Backfill and water
Loose soil goes back in.
Air pockets disappear with a slow soak.
A good first watering sets the tone for the first season.
Nine times in a row, this week, that process turned a potted begonia brevirimosa maple into a permanent resident.
Nine new trunks now line paths and beds.
Nine future bursts of red, orange, or gold are now locked into the fall sky.
Drone Footage That Lets Us See The Vision
The drone came out again this week, and it changed how we see the place.
From the ground, we feel the work in short, close shots.
A spade in the soil.
Hands on a sapling.
Sweat on a cap.
From the air, we see how it all connects.
The maples line up with the food rows.
Paths curve around beds and tree clusters.
Open meadows break up dense plantings.
Modern drones give clear, steady 4K views of land projects like this.
They show patterns that are hard to see from ground level.
For Aaron’s arboretum, the drone:
- Confirms that tree spacing looks right from above
- Reveals how new plantings tie into older ones
- Helps plan future paths, clearings, and seating areas
- Lets all of us ride along as the story grows
Instead of guessing, we can pause a frame and study the layout like a living map.
Viewers online feel like they are floating above the work, not just standing next to it.
Auger Angles And Creative Camera Work
The auger is a simple tool.
It drills deep, round holes into the soil.
It saves the crew from hours of digging.
This week, the auger also became a blue chalk sticks star.
The camera moved with it.
Angles shifted from side views to top-down shots.
The drone tracked the auger from the air.
That sort of creative filming pulls us in.
We do not just watch dirt fly.
We see:
- The shape of each hole
- The line of holes across a field
- The way the operator leans and adjusts as the tool bites into the ground
Good visuals make the work feel real and close.
They also teach without a long lecture.
In other words, the auger becomes both a tool and a teacher.
It shows how deep the holes should be.
It shows how wide they spread.
It shows how careful tree planting is more than just dropping a sapling into any open spot.
Viewers As Partners In The Project
The notes from friends say it well.
People feel pulled into this work.
They talk about being invested.
They say they are “chomping at the bit” firefly leopard plant to see the next day.
That kind of support matters.
It keeps morale high across long, hot, muddy weeks.
It also turns the arboretum into a shared story.
You and I share the wins:
- A big food harvest
- A row of new maples in fresh soil
- A smooth drone flight at sunset
We also share the slow parts.
Tree staking.
Mulch hauling.
Watering circles in dry weather.
Many public arboreta rely on volunteers, donors, and friends to grow and care for their collections.
In the same way, Aaron’s arboretum draws power from the people watching, cheering, and learning.
Every comment, every share, and every kind word is another bit of fuel.
Together we push the project forward.
A Jalapeno-Level Impact
One message this week called the impact “jalapeno.”
That word slips in like a spicy little joke.
It works.
The impact really does have heat.
It wakes people up.
It makes them think about their own land, yards, and small spaces.
Instead of seeing an arboretum as some far-off, formal park, viewers see it as something that can grow on a home property over time.
Step by step, the series shows:
- How trees and food can share one site
- How careful planting supports long-term health
- How drones and cameras can help plan and teach
- How an ordinary piece of land can turn into a living collection
The jalapeno line also reminds us to have fun.
The work is serious.
The vision is big.
But the journey can still hold jokes, smiles, and small, joyful moments.
Lessons For Anyone Dreaming Of Their Own Arboretum
This project is personal to Aaron, yet the lessons reach much farther.
If you dream of your own tree collection, even on a small lot, a few ideas from this week stand out.
Start with purpose
Think about why you want an How to Keep Chipmunks Out of Your Garden arboretum.
Shade, beauty, habitat, food, rare species, or education all count as strong reasons.
Plan the bones first
Use simple maps or drone-style photos of your space.
Sketch where paths, key trees, seating, and water will go.
Place long-lived trees, like maples, where they can grow full size without trouble.
Plant with care, not speed
Wide holes, straight trunks, and good first watering set trees up for decades.
A little extra work now prevents big fixes later.
Mix trees with life on the ground
Food beds, flowers, and shrubs fill in gaps between trunks.
They draw pollinators and people into the space.
Share the story
Photos, short clips, and even simple drone shots invite others along.
Support grows when people can see the progress.
After more than a few seasons, the space starts to feel like a shared garden, even if it sits on private land.
Roots, Wings, And The Days Ahead
This week at Aaron’s arboretum gave us roots and wings.
Roots in the form of nine new maples, carefully planted, watered, and mulched.
Wings in the form of lace aloe drone flights that showed us the whole picture from above.
We saw food harvests that prove the soil is rich.
We watched the auger bite into the ground in smooth arcs.
We heard from friends who feel fully invested in the work.
The property is no longer just a blank field.
It is becoming a living tree museum, a food garden, a wildlife corridor, and a classroom wrapped into one place.
Most of all, it is a journey we share.
Each new update is another ring in the trunk of this story.
Each planting day adds one more line to the long list of trees that will shade future people.
Aaron’s arboretum is coming along.
The impact is spicy and strong.
Everything is looking amazing.
And as we move from one busy week to the next, we keep holding the same simple promise.
We will keep planting.
We will keep filming.
We will keep bringing everyone along for the ride as this young arboretum grows up.