Autumn’s Ever Visual and Edible Garden…

We enjoyed much needed rain earlier this month. Our thirsty garden perked up with happiness (I could feel it!). I also realized my 5-month old puppy had not even experienced rain before. As with spring and summer, the yard and garden transforms for the season…

After several years and seasons of failed attempts to grow basil, I’ve finally found a happy place for both our sweet basil and purple basil varieties. With that new found confidence, I’ll attempt Genovese basil next year!

Earlier this year my childhood fondness for guava (pink guava) was rekindled by a fantastic dessert I experienced at a restaurant in Las Vegas. Trying to recreate that deliciousness proved a challenge when I couldn’t find fresh guava in local markets. What to do? Plant and nurture my own guava tree of course!! My beautiful tropical plant is growing at an alarming rate, so I think I’ll keep it contained. Looking forward to learning how to extract the juice and harness that sweet guava nectar to dabble with for my own culinary creations!

Was having a bit of a problem in the summer with the Fukushu kumquat. A nasty white fly infestation had me frustrated, and one day, practically in tears. The plant has recovered and this year there will be kumquats to enjoy from this tree (not many, but a good start).

Our Nagami kumquat has not disappointed since adopting him several years ago. This plant makes me happy. I’ve shaped it as a small, round topiary and the flowers and fruit that adorns it is just beautiful throughout the year. Looking forward to harvesting these miniature citrus treats.

For the Thanksgiving holiday, some of the recipes I wanted to try called for oranges. I couldn’t help feeling like I had a big secret when I purchased a bag of bright, juicy oranges from the market and relishing in the thought that hopefully it will be the last time I have to buy oranges from the store as my Valenicia tree is producing fruit and our blood orange tree is teasing us with large citrus fruits beauties that look like it will be ready around the Christmas holiday.

A couple of years ago I made an Italian plum-almond cake – Torta di prugne e mandrole (a must-try recipe from Domenica Marchetti’s Rustic Italian cookbook) that hands down has to be one of my more favorite cakes. That cake was rustic, seasonal and just really the epitome of what I prefer a cake should be…made with fruits, maybe some nuts and just downright homemade goodness. Italian plums are not something I always find in the markets. I can’t count on their availability. So what to do? Grow my own Italian plums!

I brought a bare root tree home last year and it died before it ever had leaves or blossoms. Needless to say, I was devastated that the tree never came around and now I had to wait until bare root trees were available again. So, right after the Christmas holiday 2013, I picked up a new tree and how exciting that this year we have blossoms! The second try proved to be a charm.

Lots of little Wickson apples on the tree right now.

I have this thing for pears as will be evident in the next barrage of images:

Some pear varieties require a pollinator, while others do not. I may have a pear tree or two, too many because I needed a pollinator for the varieties I really wanted in our garden. This Bartlett is one of the pollinators…love it!

The cute, little Seckel pears didn’t need a pollinator. I was a bit worried when there were no signs of blossoms (no flowers, no fruit!). Happiness set in when this little guy appeared. Hopefully next year will be more fruitful.

We have a guest appearance from our little Corgi pup, Wiley of Corgi Tales.com. It won’t be long before he will be able to effortlessly reach fruit that hangs this low. Next year, however, this tree will be planted in the ground and will be on its merry way to a taller height – safe and sound from the very curious and sometimes mischievous Wiley, my sweet corgi puppy!

We’re expecting rain again next week (yaaay!). Need to capture through my lens all the brilliant colors that our Chinese Pistache, Gingkos, Japanese Maples, Crape Myrtles, and Liquid Amber trees are showing off. Have a lovely week!