Precious Delights Part 1

Sorry, I have been away for awhile, taking care of the goodies that I have been blessed with in my own cupboard.  I feel like a quick update is way over due...so here it goes...

Peaches.  My last couple of posts were about the Lil Peach Tree that could. The peaches were starting to turn red, and they were starting to drip sap.  I am a little disappointed to have to announce that from there, it got extremely hot and dry, and most of them fell off the tree before ripening.  The good news is that I have 2 other peach trees, and now I am hoping the best for their future...we'll see.  To recap the peach tree that could, here is photographic story of how it appeared to me at different stages of the season...it may not have bared any eatable fruits, but it definitely showed off its beauty along the way...

3/6/12  Bare tree...

3/11/12  A few buds are popping up...

3/15/12 The blooms opened...

3/21/12  More blooms...

3/23/12  Blooms and Leaves...

4/3/12  All leaves...

4/25/12  Lots of leaves and little peaches...

5/14/12  This is about all she produced :(. Better luck next year!

Cucumbers & Squash. This year I went out on a limb and tried my hand at growing squash and cucumbers, too.  They did real well until the temperatures here were 100 degrees or higher for 10 days straight.  I have now laid them to rest until next year. But, check out what I was blessed with before they withered away...I had 1 eatable cucumber with all of it's pricklies, and 2 squash, who showed off their beautiful blossoms before leaving me.  It just seemed like I could not keep them watered enough, and next year I think I will plant them directly in the ground, instead of in large pots. You live, you learn, I guess.  On the bright side, it was a pleasure watching them grow!

Grapes.  My mom and step-dad assisted my husband and I with the trimming back of the much dreaded grapevines. They hadn't been touched in at least 10 years, and were full of poison ivy, morning glory, and honey suckle.  We spent many, many hot and sticky hours cleaning and pulling out unwanted plants by their roots.  This was not an easy job.  Ken cut them back first with a special piece on his weed eater. The vines bled abundantly.  But much to our surprise, for the first time in the 9 years I have lived here, we have recognizable grapes!  The new growth seems very happy, taking over the old chicken wire, which was originally placed by Charles' grandmother and grandfather.  We are pretty sure that we have at least two different types of grapes, one on each side, one of them being the concord, which are harvested in the summer, and the other one being scuppernongs, which aren't harvested until the Fall. So far, I have only gathered small hand fulls at a time of the concord grapes, not really enough to do anything with.  I am hoping they will do better next year since they were severely trimmed this year.  There may be some grape jelly in my future for next year...we shall see!


Well, I guess that's a wrap, until next time...stay tuned for Part II...I have plenty more to share!

Our "Lil" Peach Tree--Part 3 & Other Updates

Our Lil Peach Tree, April 3, 2012.

This tree just never ceases to amaze me.  It's little dark brown or black looking branches just never stop giving.  It has gone from buds to blooms, and now to these beautiful bright green leaves.  We have been lucky to have rain and fair temperatures lately.  Hopefully this trend will continue throughout the summer, especially the hot days and cool nights, which is what will produce my favorite sweet juicy peaches!  Stay tuned!
 

Refreshed Grapevines.

 It is so nice to see these severely pruned grapevines showing some green!  They have bled a good amount, but I think they are going to produce this year!  Spring has been so good to us, and I hope it continues. There are also some tiny bunches of grapes (pictured right) starting to form here and there. 

My Favorite Apple Tree. 

All I can say when I look at this picture is WOW!  Can you believe that every little bloom could possibly produce an apple if pollinated?? That's a lot of apples!  Actually, this is the apple tree that produces the largest amounts of apples in the summer, with its branches hanging full, all of the way to the ground.  As I was photographing this beauty, I couldn't help but noticing the sweet aroma that the blooms were giving off, reminding me of sweet, sweet honeysuckle. The honey bees and yellow jackets were in love with it just as much as I was--there were bunches and bunches of them, at least one on every other bloom, just a pollinating away, creating a pleasant buzzzz and hmmmmm.  Hopefully this is a great sign of what the future holds for this tree.  Last year, with the apples from this tree, I made my bubbly summer apple triple crust cobbler, fried apples, and homemade apple sauce.  But the options are endless I guess, so we'll just have to see what the future holds...

Blackberries & Raspberries.

This year I branched out (ha ha) a little bit and planted Thornless blackberries and Brandywine raspberries, neither of which have I planted before.  Growing up we had plenty of wild blackberries, which won't compare to the nice juicy ones that planted ones can produce.  These are somewhat of an experiment, and I am willing to accept the challenge!

Brandywine Raspberry

Thornless Blackberry

Well, that's all folks!  Stay tuned for more updates, and maybe some even recipes when these tasty treats are ready to come off the vines!

Spring Is In the Air, & Everywhere!

Spring is (almost) here!  I say that lightly, because here in North Carolina, it has been a very mild winter, allowing for an early Spring, and I could not be happier!  The trees are budding...and you know what that means?!?!  It means the fruits of our trees and plants will be here very soon!

So, during the first week of March, I ventured out of the cupboard and looked for the first signs of Spring.  To my surprise, I found my lilies popping above ground.  My outside cat, Amber, was rolling in the warm sun, watching the birds.  And last but certainly not least, I found the cherry, peach, and crabapple trees with tiny innocent little blooms!  What a nice surprise!  Guess it's time to start cleaning out the flower beds!   

Delights from My Garden--Part 2

As the summer continues, my cupboard continues to fill with lots of tasty things, some with a childhood memory attached, and others left open to start new beginnings.  I will begin with the grapes.

"I heard it through the grapevine.."

Their twisty, curly vines wrap around the man- built frame, supporting tiny bunches of premature grapes; accompanied by the sweet smell and honeysuckle.  The grapes are a new and exciting venture for me, I can't wait to see how these tiny bundles of joy grow!

Honeysuckle contains a sweet, edible nectar. 

 Next up are the famous wild blackberries.  To me, summer just isn't summer without them.  I spent many summers picking blackberries in the dark until my fingertips turned purple...now that's love!

Looks like the critters enjoy them too!

I enjoy eating them just as they are, right off the vine, or, rinsed and chilled (if they make it back to the house). But, my all-time favorite would still have to be homemade blackberry cobbler (right out of the oven), topped with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.  Summertime lovin'...lovin in the summertime!

The blackberry "bush"