Our Birch Tree Experiment

Susan and I have come to realize that there is a certain tree that reminds us of our childhood more then any other. We grew up in upstate NY where these graceful trees lived in abundance. Kris brought home 7 birch trees for me when he ran his marathon last week and we have planted them around our property despite being told that they will not grow here. I have seen about 5 in this area already. Our trees are too immature to see what type of birch trees they will be when they grow up. Will they be black, yellow, or white? Will they survive? I was encouraged when I heard the story of one of the trees Mom rescued in NY. It was growing on an abandoned vehicle in an old grain sack! No dirt, no cultivation, just a tangle of roots in a decaying bag! We are enjoying the beautiful leaves now and they are a nice contrast to the many maple trees on our property already. I forgot how cool the leaves sound when they rustle in the wind. It is a very different sound then the maples. I am posting some pictures of last summer's trip to NY that show these beautiful birches and hope that you can understand why I believe that this experiment is worth trying.