I like having a little fruit orchard in my back yard. I get fresh, organic fruit all summer and lots in the freezer for later. It doesn’t take much space . Berries are easy to grow and come back every year on their own. I’m not sure how hardy and easy he dwarf fruit trees will prove to be but so far, so good. “The Old Fashioned Fruit Garden” by JoAnn Gardner was a big inspiration for me to get started. The book has a lot of nice anecdotes. It’s instructional but not overwhelming and contains lots of recipes and preserving techniques along with fruit growing and harvesting methods.
Marie’s Balloon Flower is blooming now. I love the way the blossoms are so puffy before they open.
I think I planted some of the garlic too deep. It never sent up scapes and the leaves dropped and started to dry. The bulbs look okay so I’ll spread them out on a rack on the porch to dry.
I made Julia Child’s “Queen of Sheba” cake this weekend. She is my favorite chef. Her recipes are always accurate and easy to follow. I love her positive, happy attitude. This cake is almost flourless. Ground almonds replace some of the flour and it’s delicious.
Looks great! All of it. What are the grape-looking fruit near the top?
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Thanks, James. Those are red gooseberries.
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Ahh, I’ve heard of gooseberries before, but I’ve never had one. Do you just eat them as is or make jam or pie? They’re very lovely. I’ll trade you a million grapes for one handful!
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LOL! They are good as is, a bit on the tart side. Gooseberry jam is popular and crumbles and fools are good too
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Fools? Boy, I’m learning a lot about English food stuffs this week!
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Lovely photos, Cynthia. That looks a most inviting place to sit.
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Thanks, Derrick. It is! I’d like to do more with paths and themed areas, like you did. Ah.. those Classic English gardens!
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Many thanks, Cynthia
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Cozy, lovely flowers, sweet fruit and a delectable cake…what’s not to like??? More of this please, Johanna
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Thanks, Johanna!! Life is good:)
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I love balloon flowers. I’ve grown them here.
Julia Childs is also my favorite. She taught me the value of cooking with butter. “Everything’s better with butter.” 🙂
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Your roses are beautiful, Judy! Isn’t it funny now how there’s been a complete turn around over the butter/ low fat controversy? Everything is better with butter!
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Julia was right all along. 🙂
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Lots of good stuff, and that cake looks to die for.
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Julia was my cooking bible as a young newlywed, but I can’t help remembering SNL skits about her. I still haven’t seen the recent movie that featured her.
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Lol!! That was a classic SNL! I saw that movie and I really liked it. It was much better than the book.
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Thank you. Will make a point to watch.
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Your garden looks so relaxing Cynthia! The cake looks delicious, I can imagine that there isn’t a lot left?!! x
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Thanks, Sharon. All gone, lol.
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😉
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The balloon flowers are some of my favourite perennials. I love the view of the two garden chairs overlooking the pond….so relaxing for lazy summer days eating berries!
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Thanks, Matt. The blackberry hedge is right behind the chairs. Balloon flowers are one of my favorites too. They seem to thrive anywhere I put them.
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Love your photos! You are so lucky to be growing fruit. Our Extension Office at K-State has said we’ve had too much rain for stone fruit – and you already know about my strawberries. Enjoy!!
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That stinks! I hope you get good tomatoes this year, at least. Mine are dismal. I can’t figure out why
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Your peach looks great! We have had so much rain that we got leaf curl but I am still hopeful for a few fruit later in the summer – backyard fruit is by far my favourite part of our edible landscaping!!
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I made the mistake of googling fruit pests and blights. Seems like a lot can go wrong! I hope nature balances things out for you and you get nice peaches this year:)
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Wonderful Cynthia, truly lovely garden and produce – I like the look of that cake too actually 🙂
Every garden needs some fruit, so nice when you get produce.
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Thanks, Agnes!
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I have fruit growing in the garden, but it’s all left for the birds: elderberries, Juneberries, wild currants, wild strawberries, high bush cranberry (Viburnum), plus others that are inedible for people – spicebush, snowberry, and so on. That cake looks delicious!
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It’s great to feed the birds! if I had elderflowers I think I would be tempted to make some cordial, lol.
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Flowers and produce, Cynthia – how lucky you are. Who ate all the cake! I want some. Looks like I’ll have to venture out to the shops though they won’t have one like yours 🙂
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Lol, Mary..I admit I ate 90% of it!
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I’m the second person who commented and has never eaten a gooseberry!
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That’s funny! I used to find them in the woods when i was a kid. We all ate them
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Funny you should say that about garlic because anytime I’ve planted in a pampered spot, they don’t do well. When I throw them on the compost, they thrive! I got a bunch of bulbs that managed to plant themselves last year, so go figure. 🙂
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So true! I have a few volunteer tomatoes that are doing better than the ones I’ve been coddling since April. Weird
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