F is for Fruit

Yes, I'm a day late with this post....yesterday by the time I came in from the garden, I was too pooped to even type!  That's a good day, right?

A few years ago, we decided to make an effort to add some fruit to our gardens.  We've had fruit trees in the past, but we didn't have the time to really give them the care and attention that they need, so they would do fine for a few years, then succumb to something or other.  But, we were too busy with full time jobs and raising kids to do much about it.  So, since 2013, we've added several varieties to our place, a couple of fruit a year.

 Two apple trees put in in January 2013, a Gala and a Pink Lady.  These will be several more years before we'll see anything, but we're hopeful!

 The Rio Grande Peach that we bought at the box store, Home Depot, for $19.95 in 2013 has been fabulous.  We couldn't ask for a better peach tree!  I tried to get another this year, but the fruit trees they carried didn't come with a name (can you believe, they just had "Peach" on the labels?!!) and they wanted $29.95 this year.  Inflation....

But we did end up adding 3 more peach trees, all different varieties, this year.  Can you tell we really like peaches?!

This is the Methany plum that we put in in January, 2013, also.  It's a beautiful, sweet little plum that we really enjoyed last year, and the crop is looking good this year too!

These are the 4 elderberries that we added in 2013.  We have 2 York and 2 Adams.  I had a handful of elderberries last year, and hope for more this year.  I'm thinking wine, eventually.

Six Alden grapes we planted in 2012.  Last year they gave us a couple of grapes, here and there, but this year they are loaded!   My husband has a new vineyard he started the year he retired, so it's moving into its 3rd year.  It's been a learning experience, just deciding which grapes do best here, but he's getting there.  His dream is to someday make his own wine.

We also put in blackberry plants, and two of them have firmly set in, spreading out more and more each year.  I hope to beat some of the wildlife to a few berries this year!

We also have a Brown Turkey fig that's not come up yet this year.  I'm watching for it to emerge, but nothing so far.  I don't think we've found the exact right place for these figs, they need some sheltering to do well.  I'm not giving up, though.

Now, I'm trying to decide what to add next.  Maybe raspberries, I'm thinking.....