Harvesting in the garden this morning, a bird eaten fruit under the tree alerted me to the ripening of the first Santa Rosa plums on the tree planted on southwest corner last year. Though the tree set a lot of green fruit in spring, strong winds brought most of them down. By my count there are around six plums today. Birds got one and I picked two, leaving three to ripen further or feed the birds.
The golden flesh inside tasted of honeyed sunshine, with a hint of tartness near the pit. Looking forward to a bigger harvest next year.
Pomegranate bushes, meanwhile, are laden with swelling globes.
I am thinking a few more months before they are ready to harvest - maybe September or October? This is the first year of setting fruit for these: the first fruit trees I planted after taking on custodianship of the property. Yes I know it’s looking a little bit jungli around the pomegranates. Grass also thrives in monsoon season and I’m distracted, spending my outdoor hours in the cooler times of the day, trying to keep ahead of the annual goatshead thorn invasion provoked by even the smallest rainshower.
Out back the Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) are maybe ready for harvest. They are very small, but such beautiful jewels trailing over the desert drift wood trellis, surrounded by a wild profusion of flowers various.
They have a slightly soapy, medicinal flavour raw. It might be that Goji berries are an acquired taste.
I think I shall dry some to add to trail mix or tea. While the plant is definitely earning its place in the ornamental department, I’m not loving these berries as a snack, straight off the vine.
It was promised that birds would be attracted to these bright red little berries. At this stage, I see no sign of bird interest. But then there are also so many sunflowers keeping the little birds very busy and very well fed right now.
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