"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Monday, June 1, 2009

Blueberries and apples and currants!!

I can't believe it's already the first day of June.  I also can't believe the weather we've been having.  It's been sunny and warm for a week and the forecast shows more of the same.  Not only have the flowers been loving the sun, but the fruit has been also.  I've noticed lots of big green strawberries and the figs seem to be bigger everyday.   

These are 'Bluecrop' blueberries.  This and the other bushes are all very full of berries.  I think these will be the first ones ready, and I think we'll be eating them by the end of the month.

I did notice a Chickadee in one of the bushes the other day.  I hope this won't be the year the birds discover them.  So far they haven't been a problem.

The apple tree is full of these little apples.  I've never seen it so full before.  All 5 of the grafts (different varieties) are looking great.

I know there will be a big drop when the tree naturally thins the fruit.  I hope we can make pie and apple crisp with some of the apples that ripen in the early fall.


Currants are getting bigger and juicier looking.  I found that some are beginning to turn red.  These are VERY bitter if you eat them before they are completely ripe.

I think they are really interesting looking.  I hope the birds will leave some for us.

I've found growing fruit in the garden has been a sure way to get my girls to eat it.  Everyone hovers around the blueberry bushes when they are ripe looking for the biggest and juiciest ones.  Or stands guard over a strawberry that is on the verge of ripeness claiming it's theirs when it's ready to eat.  Very soon and we'll be enjoying them.
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29 comments:

  1. It is exciting to grow your own fruit. We only have three apples left hanging and my husband talks to them everyday. Our blueberries are beginning to turn too!!

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  2. Fresh fruit is the best! I can't wait to bake something with my blueberries. I can't wait to see the goodies you will whip up with those apples, blueberried and figs!
    BTW your corrected Bilbo tag is on my page :)

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  3. I can't believe how far ahead of us your plants are. Our apple blossoms are just now BUDDING, not even flowering yet.
    It has been very unseasonably COLD up here for over 2 weeks. We are only supposed to be 40's and rainy all day here and it has been that way for days and days. It is supposed to be JUNE, mother nature!!!! ha

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  4. Look at those berries!! I'm envious. The deer have eatin our blueberrie bushes down to about nothing!! We knew we should have fenced them in last year. I'm sure they will come back, but it may be a couple of years before we see much fruit.

    Enjoy all your fresh fruit!!

    Jen

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  5. I agree, fresh fruit in the garden is great! We just have to grow enough for the wildlife to leave some for us!

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  6. Wow - you're WAY ahead of us! I've got 2 tiny apples, some tiny plums (both on new trees) and baby currants, raspberries and gooseberries - but I've had to put the currants in a fruit cage to stop the birds scoffing the lot! They still get a share of the raspberries though! :)

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  7. I have tried growing blueberries in the past and haven't had any luck. I think I may have to try again!

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  8. Catherine,I have two blueberry bushes I planted this year, and perhaps I will have a handful of berries. Next year will be better. Strawberries are also plentiful. It is proving to be a good year for fruit for us here in the PNW
    enjoy the lovely weather we are having.
    Jennifer

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  9. Mmmmmm - this post is rather mouth watering Catherine. I noticed at the allotment today that the strawberries are starting to colour up. Won't be long now :)

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  10. Catherine your fruit looks great I am so envious of your Blueberries I have struggled with mine for years with little success.

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  11. I'd say your plants are loving your weather; everything looks so good and healthy.

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  12. Wow! Your berries are coming along quick!

    Question for you since you live in the PNW... do you recognize the bugs on my blog? Are they beneficial bugs?

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  13. everything looks so wonderfully healthy! my apple tree just bloomed...we are way behind you guys...so hopefully...we get something to show for those blooms!

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  14. Darla - I had to laugh that your husband is talking to your apples. Sometimes they need a little convincing to hang around until they ripen.

    Dirt Princess - Everything tastes better fresh from the garden. I have my tag up, Thanks!

    The Retired One - I hope it warms up for you. It must be frustrating to have it that cold in June. I hope your apple tree gives you lots of apples.

    Jen - I'm sure they'll be okay. I guess this way the roots will get a chance to get really strong. Maybe you'll get some berries next year.

    Sheila - Very true, as long as the birds don't eat everything I'm okay with them.

    Nutty Gnome - We've been lucky we haven't had to net the berries yet, but this might be the year. I never feed the birds in the area where they grow to try to keep them out of that part of the yard. Don't know if it makes a difference or not.

    Laura - I think you should try again. Your kids would love them.

    keewee - Every year we've gotten more. At least if you get some to sample this year it'll be worth it. It does seem like the fruit is doing well, maybe the cold was good for it.

    Rob - Yes, and it's still ripening away out there!

    Anna - Isn't it fun after all the waiting we do all winter to finally get to enjoy fruit from our gardens?!

    Joanne - We are pretty lucky with them here. There are lots of blueberry farms right by us and we go pick them there too.

    Mildred - It's hard to believe it's just the beginning of June. It feels like the middle of summer.

    Renee - I will come and see if I recognize them. I usually just know the obvious ones though.

    Tootsie - If I remember right you have just recently had snow. I hope you do get lots of apples, even the apple blossoms are beautiful to me.

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  15. Hi Catherine! I gave up on growing blueberries since the birds always beat the kids to them! Yours are loaded with fruit so hopefully your girls will get to enjoy them! I have a McIntosh apple tree that I've tried to espalier...so there's usually not many fruits. Maybe I'll try growing currants..they do look cool!

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  16. Wow - your fruit looks so good. I planted blueberries for the first time this year. They've got a few fruit on them, but they don't look plump and luscious like yours. I think Ireland is a bit on the limits for growing them.

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  17. Wow ... I wish I have enough space to grow fruit trees. It will be fun picking up fruits and munching on them ...

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  18. I've been wanting blueberries for so long! I just love them, especially in cereal! Yum! I'm glad you have been getting all that wonderful sun too! Did you get poured on today?

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  19. Here in Michigan blueberries ripen in July. We have lots of blueberry farms in the area. Each summer we can look forward to homemade blueberry pies, blueberry buckle and lots of homemade blueberry jam. Mmmmmm.

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  20. We have just planted up a soft fruit bed and have some blueberry bushes, but they are very small. I hope we have at least a few to try! Bilberries grow wild in the local woods but they are very small and you have to collect loads to make a pie! You will have lots of lovely fruit.

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  21. Lynn- Hopefully the birds will stay away another year. You should try currants, they are really easy. This one is growing under a cedar tree!

    Twisted Willow - I hope you get to enjoy at least some. Ours took a few years before they really started producing.

    Tessa - It's like summer here and no rain today or even in the forecast. I've been doing a lot of watering.

    Jill-O - You're making my mouth water :) We like to go blueberry picking too so we have lots to freeze.

    BT - I hope you have lots of blueberries in your garden, they are so sweet freshly picked. The wild ones are very small here too.

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  22. How great to have all that homegrown fruit Catherine. I've only ever grown rhubarb & raspberries. I never thought about how growing it would encourage kids to also eat it ~ I can see how that would work tho. You're so smart! I hope you have lots of good eating soon.

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  23. I like currants and last year the birds got every last one and they also got all of the blackberries. I hope things are different this year. I left some daisys grow up in the currants hopeing all those stems to deal with would make life difficult to birds bent on eating them. Will have to see as I had to cut some of the daisys off to keep them from shading the berries too much.

    I never tried to grow blueberries. But my dwarf apples are about the same size as the ones you have shown. This is a nice blog and lots of nice information and photos.

    Thanks too for coming to see My Birds Blog.

    Abraham Lincoln

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  24. You should have a wonderful berry harvest! They all look so nice and they aren't even ripe yet. I will be trying blueberries ones of these days too but our currents provide food the the King birds nesting above them. At least they come back every year and provide us with a nice show!

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  25. Kathleen - My mom used to grow rhubarb and raspberries. I love fresh raspberries.

    Abe Lincoln - Good idea with the daisy stems, hopefully it'll distract the birds too much!

    Heather - Sometimes letting the birds have our fruit is worth it just to attract interesting birds to the garden.

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  26. You have some good looking blueberries. Are you getting ready for some blueberry dessert? Yummm

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  27. It looks like you have quite the fruit crop! Your blueberry bushes are loaded.

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  28. It's so nice to see all of the fruit you've got there, Catherine. It seems like it's all doing well and is healthy, too. It would be nice if I could grow it too, but we just don't have enough sun and we have way too many squirrels (and birds). Strawberries get eaten before I can get to them. Luckily the tomatos don't get bothered so that's about the only fruit I am able to grow...it's more like a veggie to me but it's in the fruit category...so for this purpose I'll call it a fruit!!

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