Fruit trees

~ MaryG

We hired the young man who plowed our driveway last winter to help install my husband’s new vegetable garden (aka The Retirement Garden), which will have four large raised beds, irrigation, and a deer fence. (Fingers crossed the kid is up to the job. The soil where the fence posts need to get sunk in is very hard.)

In the meantime, a few of the many fruit trees my husband planted about twenty years ago have survived deer and other blights and are producing fruit. And for some reason, this year, the squirrels are missing in action. Typically, they would’ve had these trees stripped by now.

I made my first ever pie from the apples in our yard yesterday.

According to Google,
“Winesap apples are a classic American heirloom variety prized for their deep, cherry-red skin, exceptionally crisp texture, and unique, tangy, wine-like flavor. Dating back to the colonial era, they are famous for an intense sweet-tart profile with spicy undertones, making them a premier choice for fresh eating, cider brewing, and baking.”
My Winesap apple pie was really good. I used the basic recipe that’s printed in the bottom of my pie plate, but these apples definitely have a complex, spicier taste than the usual store-bought varieties.
Thank you squirrels for taking a vacation this year.
Bosc pear tree
Asian pear tree
I have done some baking with our Asian pears in the past, but they’re very sweet. They’re best eaten fresh off the tree.
These beautiful pears are hanging just out of my reach, untouched by squirrels. We finally broke down and ordered a fruit picking tool so we can get these down, but it’s not being delivered until Tuesday. 😕 I really I hope we beat the squirrels to these.
And here’s a throwback photo (August 2002). Check out that harvest. My husband grew all that food! He actually remembers the exact moment he went Organic after reading the ingredients on a bag of grub killer at our first house in Canton, MA in 1995.

Growing some of our own food again has become increasingly appealing in Trump’s America. Between skyrocketing food prices, never ending news of American food supply contaminations, and now an absolutely ridiculous trade war with Canada, we want to put our sunny yard back to doing something useful.

24 thoughts on “Fruit trees”

  1. Wow that’s so awesome Mary! I’m always amazed when I see fruit actually hanging from a tree because it doesn’t exist up here (well except crab apples I think).

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      1. Yes way too far north. Even in my province, Manitoba, we have a very short growing season and the south part of the province doesn’t really grow too much as far as fruit trees go. But in the west part of the country, BC, as well as southern Ontario, there are orchards!

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      2. OH good to know. I’ll take a closer look at the grocery store. I got some nice cherries from Canada recently. Also mushrooms. I expect they’ll be doubling in price soon, thanks to our deranged🍑🤡!

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  2. That’s all insanely beautiful to me! Our backyard is way too small for much, but we’re putting in four raised beds as well, and maybe we’ll get a smidgeon of this next year. Your trees though – gah! That’s a gorgeous bounty!! I adore fruit pies, too.

    I’ve a chef friend who lives in France now, and she said the only condition under which she’d move back to the US is if she could grow all her own produce, that what she can buy in the grocery store here is too pitiful: too expensive, too bland. I’m kind of glad my ignorance is bliss in this situation.

    But, that throwback pic has made me envious! I’m looking forward to seeing your pictures next year.

    (My husband rented an auger to dig the post holes for a fence in our back yard, and the ground was so hard it threw him on his back. I’m sending all best wishes to your hired help!)

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    1. Thanks for your good wishes on the fence installation Shelly! The kid has an auger—hopefully it’s good enough 🤞 I hope we at least get some good tomatoes next year – like yours!

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    1. Thank you so much for your very kind comment Laurie!! I do very little in the garden, but my husband has a true green thumb. He was a Botany major at UMass. 🌱 and yes, the sunny lots have been key to his success. 😎

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  5. I can’t remember how long I have been follow your blog than it’s going to be over a year or more as I can remember when you said you didn’t get any apples as you were hoping because the squirrels got them. Fingers crossed you get those other apples when you can reach them with the garden tool. Your pie looks lovely. 😊

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    1. Thank you so much Liz! You have a good memory. It’s a real mystery about the squirrels this year, but I can’t worry about them too much. I just really want to beat them to the rest of the fruit. 🤞The deer are eating stuff that has fallen to the ground. We had the cutest spotted fawn the other day.

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    1. Thank you so much Edward! My husband has a real love and gift with plants. (He actually majored in Botany at UMass.) He’s been helped by having very sunny lots at both our houses.

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      1. Cool! I have a little garden in my basement, just an experiment, but I think next year I’m going to start one outside so I can grow bigger tomatoes and peppers. The ones indoors are not that big.

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      2. Oh that’s great! My husband used to start most of his plants in the basement under big grow lights and then transplant them to his garden. But he was just saying that it looks like there are a lot more seedlings available to buy these days, so I’m not sure what he’s going to do with this new garden.

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  7. What a magnificent haul of vegetables! And your fruit trees – delicious. I’de be putting down jars of apple sauce for Xmas gifts. Your Asian Pear to us is a Nashi – always good in a salad with walnuts. Working in the garden alongside Mother Nature is always therapeutic, though I do hope your squirrels are ok. I’ll be over for a slice of pie later…..

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    1. You’re right, I need to make some applesauce. (I have a recipe for pear sauce too.) Doing it for Christmas gifts is a great idea! It’s a real mystery about the squirrels, but I can’t worry about them too much. I just want to beat them to the fruit at this point.
      I SO wish you could drop by for pie!

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