Fruits and something to do with labour

I've continued mapping my food producing garden.  Over the 7 years I've been in Carnegie, I've been gradually been adding more fruit trees, and have been gradually been reaping the "fruits of my labour".  The ideas from the last GRC and my abstract apply to the whole garden, but especially to the fruit trees.  Here's what I said back then:

Renovation encompasses the possibilities of revival, reshaping and replacement.

Revival brings new life to the outdated, focusing on what is worth polishing and blowing the dust off, to be brought back to functional use.

Reshaping can render the useless as useful again through conversion and adaption of what exists, be it subtle or drastic.

Replacement guts out the non-redeemable to solve the problem, or performs a complete shift to ask what the problem in fact is.

All of these things have certainly happened in various degrees with the trees in the garden.  There was one tree that had to be completely removed because of rot, and other old trees have been reshaped and adapted.

 I've numbered the trees on the map starting with the established trees.

(1) This is my favourite plum tree which makes the most beautiful jam and sauce - it is something like a damson, but not sure of the exact variety.  No good for eating raw, but fabulous for preserves.  I like the idea of making the same kind of jam that the previous dweller of the house and garden did with plums from the same tree which they may have planted.

(2) This is a massive plum tree, unsure of the type but it has small, sweet, yellow fruit.  Not bad to eat, but mostly pip, it makes quite sickly jam.  The possums get to eat most of the fruit.  I really like the tree for it's beauty alone and keep it for that reason.

(3) and (4) Fig trees - some generic kind.  They look nice but I can't work out what's going on with the fruit.  It seems sappy and strange, but I think I've never managed to get a ripe one, I think the birds eat them first.  I'm not familiar with figs, but I think I should try netting some to see what they're like.


Lower Citrus Grove
When we first moved in the first thing I did with the garden was to plant an orange and lemon tree.  I just whacked them somewhere down the back of the garden, which really is a bit too shady and cold, but I have persevered and created a little citrus grove down there, and the trees should grow up towards the light.  The pic below is taken from the back fence looking back towards the house.

(5) A Lisbon lemon - the original one I planted which had a terrible start!  It fell over in the wind, was ring barked by possums, and got bad gall wasp.  I've been cosseting it the last year or so and it is starting to come good

(6) Washington Navel Orange - planted at the same time as the lemon.  It had the same bad start, but is getting pretty good now.  It had fruit for the first time this winter and I've worked out that middle of august is when it starts to get sweet!

(7) Ellendale Mandarin - planted a few years ago, it has it's first 2 fruits this winter.


(8) A Lemonade tree - a fruit which is like a sweet lemon.  Only planted last season.

North wall citrus
The best place for citrus is the north facing wall at the back of the house as it acts as a heat sink and citrus love warmth.  It is also a great place for the clothesline, so I've espaliered two of the trees against the wall behind the line (I'll take the washing off the line for the next pic!)  There used to be a passionfruit vine there, which I persevered with for a number of years, however, it was not productive anymore and it kept overgrowing the clothesline!  The citrus were all only planted last year, but they are doing very well and grown a lot already.

(9) Valencia Orange - this replaced an old hibiscus bush that grew out of the control and as always covered in the hibiscus bugs.


(10) Meyer Lemon - one of the espaliers


(11) Imperial Mandarin - second espalier


(12) Tahitian Lime - Planted in a little spot I created at the end of the patio - it has been in for 2 years.  It's not going so well as I planted a lemongrass in front of it, not realising how big it would get in a spot it liked.  The lemongrass is massive and the lime is suffering.  One of my tasks soon will be to move the lemongrass.

The Apples
I've planted dwarf apples along the fence to create a sort of hedge (shown in the pic), and each side of a garden arch with the plan to grow the trees in an arch shape.  I got them last year via mail order from Woodbridge fruit trees - more info on the heirloom varieties here.  I have early, mid season and late varieties.  I'll be interested to see how they grow this season.

(13) Summer Strawberry

(14) Pomme de Neige - aka snow apple


(15) Caville Blanc d'Hiver


(16) Sturmer


(17) Sugarloaf Pippin


(18) Esopus Spitzenburg


The Plummy Group


I have planted 3 trees as a trio where you plant more than one tree in the hole and treat as one when you prune them - like a graft but each variety has it's own root system.  This was to replace the old rotten plum tree.  They've been in for 2 years.


(19) This is the remant left from the rotten tree that had to be removed.  It grew as a sucker and I'll let it grow.  It's an old European Plum called Prune d'Agen.


(20) Mariposa plum - planted as a pollinator.


(21) Flavour Supreme Pluot - a cross between a plum and apricot.  This was recommended by Wes Flemming when we saw him give a talk about bare rooted trees.  It needs a pollinator, hence the Mariposa.


(22)  Moorpark Apricot.


The Others

(23) Nectazee Necterine - a dwarf standard i.e. a ball on a stick.  Has been planted for 2 years.  I didn't get around to treating it for curly leaf this winter, so it will be NQR again this year.

(24) Sunset Peach - another dwarf standard.  I can already see curly leaf on it, but the blossoms are nice!


(25) Stella Cherry - to be trained over the arch like the apples


(26) Simone Cherry - for the other side of the arch.  Both the cherries have only been in 1 year


(27) Doyenne du Comice Pear - a heirloom variety of pear.  Planted last year as a duo with the other pear.


(28) Williams Pear - a pollinator for the Doyenne.


(29) White Sapote - no idea really what this fruit is, but is supposed to grow well in the shelter of other trees.  Looks good so far!


(30)  Panama Red Passionfruit - I'm planning to grow this up the wall of The Workroom and even over the roof.  It was planted last year and is looking terrible - all the leaves are being eaten by something!  I have to start giving some serious TLC.

(31) Panama Gold Passionfruit - ditto!


So, that's it.  It's a massive amount of fruit trees I've squeezed into my little yard.  I can't wait for the years to come when they start to become more productive!