Old bridge pilings

I bought a bag of orchard ley from Koanga nursery. On the instructions, it mentions mixing it with sand and raking it into the ground. So, passing a local river, I stopped to appropriate some sand.

Old bridge pilings

The ley is a 1 kg bag of seeds.  I've yet to plant it, mainly because I am a little confused.  Do I remove the grass and rake the seed and sand mixture into the soil?  Or do I just rake it into the grass?  As the raking is intended to prevent the birds from getting the seeds, and sweet Jesus do I have lots of birds here, I'm probably going to leave the grass and make them work for the seeds.

"Heard" plum tree

I bought this as a whim for $18NZ, from Koanga, and I believe it came bare rooted with straw to keep the roots moist.  From internet research, which is worth what you choose to believe it's worth, the "Heard" plum tree is a cherry plum.  I think it was more suited for cooking, than eating.  Maybe it would even pollinate other more conventional plum varieties I have planted in the paddock nearby.

Someday this will be a "Heard" plum tree or hedge.

It was listed as a plant suitable for hedging.  I like the idea of having a hedgerow, or a hedge made out of some fruiting plant.  What's involved in making a hedge out of a plant?  I have no idea.  In any case, it was planted at the far end of the paddock, past the water race, on the narrow strip of grass beside the fence before the end of the field.  Someday, maybe it will be a hedge.

There's an element of trust in all this planting.  Sure, I order a tree and it comes with a label attached telling me it is one thing.  But what happens when several years down the line, your cider apple tree turns out to be some other variety you'd sooner tear out than eat?