LINNVILLE – County landowners who want to start a backyard orchard or cover those bare spots have a month left to order their solutions from the Lawrence Soil and Water Conservation District.

Thursday, February 10, 2000

LINNVILLE – County landowners who want to start a backyard orchard or cover those bare spots have a month left to order their solutions from the Lawrence Soil and Water Conservation District.

The organization’s annual tree and seed sale is under way, with a March 6 deadline, said Peggy Reynolds, the district’s administrative assistant at the Linnville office.

Brochures mailed out last week list at least two dozen seedling trees, ivy and other groundcovers, wildflower seeds and bird and bat boxes, Mrs. Reynolds said.

"We figure the phone will soon start ringing off the hook," she said.

Last year, the tree sale attracted business from about 75 to 100 landowners.

"A lot of people use them for home landscaping and some recreation or just wind breaks," Mrs. Reynolds said.

Shrubs like myrtle and the ivy-like crownvetch make good cover for recently disturbed ground, too, she said.

Or, there are seedling pine trees to cover bare hillsides, trees designed to attract wildlife and trees to shade homes available.

And many people like the red delicious and Georgia peach trees, which come two to a package, Mrs. Reynolds added.

Prices of the trees and plants vary. Orders of 25 red oak or black walnut seedlings are $15. Orders of 25 pine or fir trees are $10. A tray of 72 crownvetch or a tray of 100 English ivy plants costs $23. Two fruit trees run about $10, while the ever-popular bluebird box is $12, she said.

The wildlife tree packet – two each of red oak, bur oak, red osier dogwood, serviceberry and roselow sargent crabapple – costs $10. The flowering tree packet – two each of Persian lilac, lynwood gold forsythia, rhododendron, flowering dogwood – also costs $10.

Prices are low because the district joins with other conservation districts across the state to order the products in bulk from nurseries, Mrs. Reynolds said.

Brochures and order forms are available at the soil and water office, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. For more information, call the office at 867-4737.

Orders must be picked up the first week of April.

Buyers will be contacted by phone to verify exact pick-up time and location.