Gardening whenever I can... even in pyjamas.
Gardening for sustainability,
to eat organic produce,
a love of the outdoors,
but mostly for my children.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Nectarines!
I am out in the garden and look! Nectarines that are almost ripe! We ate one ripe one already (shared it between the 4 of us) and it was so sweet and juicy. I never thought I could grow something so tasty...
The surprising sweetness of the first fruit! A bare rooted peach planted in my garden in July produced just one exquisitely sweet peach- I can't wait till next year when hopefully there will be more. The nectarine too has just one (as yet unripened) fruit. So i understand the anticipation and enjoyment!
Lucky you! How nice to know that I'm not alone in the sheer joy of a tiny first harvest.
Do you have full sized or dwarf? We have a 3 way nectarine and 3 way apple planted a few meters apart from each other and intend to try and keep them both small, even though they are not on dwarf rootstock.
I personally prefer nectarines to peaches, well I think it is probably just the lack of fuzz that tips the balance. I did read somewhere that peaches are that bit better suited to Canberra, although that was after our nectarine tree went in. This made me think that perhaps we should have a peach tree as well. Do let me know if you notice any difference in the growth or production of your trees!
Your garden project has been going longer than mine, and sometimes I get very impatient, wishing the verdant paradise of my imagination was a reality already.
But of course the planning, nurturing, cultivating, experimenting and waiting are part of the joy. Rather like wishing he baby was already grown up! If it could happening I would have missed the best part.
And it sounds like you are really cultivating another generation of joyful little gardeners.
My trees are full size single grafts but I'll probably prune to keep them smallish.
I have heard that pruning full sized trees to keep them small can be quite successful and although production is decreased, I'm told it is even more delicious! I've heard that pruning should be done in winter as if it is done during the growing season it has the opposite effect, stimulating even more growth!
I understand what you mean, wishing that the garden was at 'finished' stage, the glorious, lush place to enjoy without thinking about what needs planting or pruning or sowing or mowing.
I see gorgeous gardens in person, on tv and in magazines and books that look wonderfully neat or beautifully free flowing and soft at the edges and wistfully wonder whether my garden could be like that too.
My garden has messy bits, ideas drawn in my mind and on paper, and a functional aspect of the vegetable garden. I doubt I will ever have a 'show' garden, but one thing I really love about my garden is looking around and seeing the potential. I can see the changes that we will make in the next few weeks, months and years and how the garden evolves with the passing seasons and crops.
Sometimes I think "it will be great when both children can..." and then I think of the things I will miss about them as they are right now.
But gee, I can't wait till the nectarine has more than 7 fruit, and the kids garden room is finished and we have a deck on the back and...
The surprising sweetness of the first fruit! A bare rooted peach planted in my garden in July produced just one exquisitely sweet peach- I can't wait till next year when hopefully there will be more. The nectarine too has just one (as yet unripened) fruit. So i understand the anticipation and enjoyment!
ReplyDeleteLucky you! How nice to know that I'm not alone in the sheer joy of a tiny first harvest.
ReplyDeleteDo you have full sized or dwarf? We have a 3 way nectarine and 3 way apple planted a few meters apart from each other and intend to try and keep them both small, even though they are not on dwarf rootstock.
I personally prefer nectarines to peaches, well I think it is probably just the lack of fuzz that tips the balance. I did read somewhere that peaches are that bit better suited to Canberra, although that was after our nectarine tree went in. This made me think that perhaps we should have a peach tree as well. Do let me know if you notice any difference in the growth or production of your trees!
Your garden project has been going longer than mine, and sometimes I get very impatient, wishing the verdant paradise of my imagination was a reality already.
ReplyDeleteBut of course the planning, nurturing, cultivating, experimenting and waiting are part of the joy. Rather like wishing he baby was already grown up! If it could happening I would have missed the best part.
And it sounds like you are really cultivating another generation of joyful little gardeners.
My trees are full size single grafts but I'll probably prune to keep them smallish.
I have heard that pruning full sized trees to keep them small can be quite successful and although production is decreased, I'm told it is even more delicious! I've heard that pruning should be done in winter as if it is done during the growing season it has the opposite effect, stimulating even more growth!
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean, wishing that the garden was at 'finished' stage, the glorious, lush place to enjoy without thinking about what needs planting or pruning or sowing or mowing.
I see gorgeous gardens in person, on tv and in magazines and books that look wonderfully neat or beautifully free flowing and soft at the edges and wistfully wonder whether my garden could be like that too.
My garden has messy bits, ideas drawn in my mind and on paper, and a functional aspect of the vegetable garden. I doubt I will ever have a 'show' garden, but one thing I really love about my garden is looking around and seeing the potential. I can see the changes that we will make in the next few weeks, months and years and how the garden evolves with the passing seasons and crops.
Sometimes I think "it will be great when both children can..." and then I think of the things I will miss about them as they are right now.
But gee, I can't wait till the nectarine has more than 7 fruit, and the kids garden room is finished and we have a deck on the back and...
Mmm, I love nectarines too!
ReplyDelete