The sun did come out yesterday and it was a nice warm sun. My littlest gardener took a much needed nap. She's only 2 1/2 years old and had been trying to give them up. Luckily yesterday I was able to convince her to take one. While she napped my little white dog relaxed in the sun and I spread compost, planted a couple of plants, mowed the grass and watered the seedlings. A truly great day where all I kept thinking about was how much I loved being outside in the garden. This morning I'm thinking about my sore back, but it's worth it when I look out the window to see everything looking so nice.
While mowing I realized that the pear trees we planted last year were in full bloom. They just needed that one day of sun to encourage them to flower.
The girls each have "their" tree. This one is my older daughter's (Sweet Pea) tree.
It's a Comice and is supposed to be a great dessert pear, it is also blight resistant.
We needed to find another pear that would cross pollinate with it at the right time and so we chose the Orcas to be the littlest gardener's tree. The Orcas pear tree was actually found on Orcas Island which is one of the San Juan Islands. It is supposed to be an excellent pear tree for the Northwest and disease resistant as well.
She was napping so I'll have to take her picture by it later. I like looking back at pictures of the girls standing by trees we've planted to see how much they have all grown over the years. Wonder if we'll get a few pears to try this summer?
I hope you get tons of pears and what a nice keepsake for the girls.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to have any luck with pear trees but I love them. I can remember the times, when I was a little boy, walking barefoot to the grocery store and on the way this old pear tree dropped fruit and there were always lots of bees eating the pears on the group. The secret was to get past them without getting stung and most times I made it. I also liked to find one of the pears that just dropped and eat it. Oh my. They just gushed with juice.
ReplyDeleteYum pears would be nice. That is great the girls each having their own pear tree. Bob only likes pears when they are green hard as a rock. My sister has a pear orchard.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was really nice wasn't it? I still haven't planted any flowers - too busy weeding trying to get the beds ready. But they are really looking nice - Bob and I both spent the day weeding. About 4 down and a million to go oh 5 down and it's ready to do again! Where does it end?
What a lovely idea.
ReplyDeleteMy two pear trees don't do so well and the pears are so hard they have to be stewed to eat as a desert. So I am quite envious.
I have to commend you for all you do in the garden not easy with a 2 year old.
We planted two pear trees this year as well as three apple. I'm anxious to see if we get any fruit at all this year. Most likely not until next summer. Your trees look beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteJen
I hope you will have great success with the pear trees. Pear preserves are always tasty! Fun idea to photograph the girls by their trees. As they get older, it will be fun to see how they and the trees have changed over the years. Happy Saturday!
ReplyDeleteMy Mom has pictures of me by a tree; it's nice to look back at it!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have pears this year and for many years to come!
What a pretty tree! I hope you guys are able to collect fruit from it! Also, I think its such a cute idea to have a tree for each of your kids!
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine, I love all the blossoms on that pear tree..which is a sign of a good harvest! I love how you use it as the girls' growth chart and not a boring ruler..haha!
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine
ReplyDeleteI love pears.
Did I ever mention I like that ' Johns' quote on your sidebar?
Rob
Dedicating a tree to each of your daughters is such a sweet idea. Bet you can't wait for the pears either.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea planting trees for your daughters!
ReplyDeleteThe blossom looks really lovely - very delicate.
I hope you get some pears Catherine. Pretty blooms.
ReplyDeleteCatherine,
ReplyDeleteNice pear trees, I hope they fruit well for you! The girls will be tickled when they do fruit.
We have an Asian pear it is pretty young and produces maybe 25 large pear each season, no other pear trees just one.
Tina - I hope we'll get lots too. I still need to get my little one our for her picture. We had a busy day!
ReplyDeleteAbe - Those sound like good memories. I once stepped on a bee and that does hurt!
Linda - My friend's husband likes pears that way too, they seem to be best when they're ripe to me :)
The weeds never stop to grow and I think they reappear overnight in areas I just finished weeding.
Joanne - I hope they produce good eating pears, they are supposed to. This will be our first chance to see. It is hard to squeeze gardening in with her, but I've learned to work fast and get a lot done in a short time.
Jen - I hope you get a least a few just to try. They look pretty in bloom, so hopefully you'll at least be able to enjoy that part.
Mildred - My mom used to can pears at their old house. The one tree produced so many pears we'd have bags full and shared them with everyone.
Laura - It's fun to see yourself as a kid like that isn't it? I have some pictures that are just 3 or 4 years old and I can't believe how fast my daughter and the tree grew.
Marissa - I thought it would be fun to let them each have one, my oldest got to choose and of course picked the one good for desserts :)
Lynn - I sure hope we'll have some, the flowers are really pretty. Trees are much nicer looking in a picture than a ruler too :)
Rob - Isn't that a great quote? That pretty much sums up how I feel about gardening.
Prospero - Thanks! The girls are looking forward to eating those pears.
Phoenix - Aren't they pretty flowers? I never really looked at pear flowers before.
Susie - I hope so too, maybe even enough for a yummy dessert!
Randy - I wonder if the Asian pears don't need to cross pollinate. For a young tree that sounds like a lot of fruit, and those are good pears too!
I love the idea of taking pictures of your girls by their trees. What lovely memories you all will have when you view those pictures years from now.
ReplyDeleteCatherine- your daughter is beautiful and the tree is blooming so nicely. What a great idea, having the girls pictures next the each of their trees. I may just steal that idea.
ReplyDeleteCan I say that you have two sweet pairs? (one of trees and one of daughters!) :-) Great thought that they each have their own tree and taking the photos is something you will treasure.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the sore back, Catherine. But I, like you, believe it's worth it to see the progress.
ReplyDeleteMy pear tree just started blooming too after being somewhat ambivalent about the fickle weather. (Should I bloom or shouldn't I?)
Here's to another sunny day.
I'm amazed at what you get done with a two year old too Catherine! I'm trying to remember if I managed that or not?!! I agree with everyone else about what a great idea it was to dedicate the pear trees to your sweet girls. You probably want the trees to grow fast but maybe not so much the girls?? At least I want mine to slow down!!
ReplyDeleteCynthia - Thanks, it'll be fun to watch them grow.
ReplyDeleteHeather - You should do it. You could even do one for your granddaughter.
Shady Gardener - Thanks, I do have two sweet pairs :)
Grace - Who needs to workout when you garden? Do you get much fruit from your pear tree?
Kathleen - I just work fast :) I agree with you though, I want to trees to grow fast, but I wish my girls could stay little forever.
What a nice idea Catherine - and a good way to watch the girls and the trees grow together!
ReplyDeleteI found a pear tree in my garden last year! It had been hidden by an apple tree and it was only when I chopped down the apple tree (which had bad canker)that we realised there was a second tree behind it - 8 years to find a tree. How observant am I as a gardener eh?!
Isn't it fun discovering each day what has come up, grown, or is blooming? That's a great photo of Sweet Pea and her pear tree.
ReplyDeleteWe planted a mountain ash tree for our daughter, and took her picture with it, too. I'm thinking it was the first day of school each year.
That's sweet. How great for the kids to have a tree of their own! You're a wonderful mother, Catherine!
ReplyDelete