Friday, 18 October 2013

A Cracking Harvest and Some Georgous Sunsets

Forget the fact that it was a bad year for the Prunus Family this year the apples have out performed all expectations, my George Cave eventually produced 62kg and other varieties are easily beating last years totals.



One plum that did well for me was this Mannacan which has a delightful apricot flavour
Apple Lady Sudely best for juice or eat within  a week as they go wooly after this time.

 
As at today I am still picking the following apples, lanes Prince Albert a great keeping cooker some 25kg off a small tree,Golden pippin and Pitmaston pineapple both small but prolific and good keepers. Still to come are the lates of Adams pearmain and Cornish gillipepper (so named after carnations).

Sweet chestnuts have just started falling and look likely to produce a heavy crop.
Waiting on the tree to be picked I have 3 hawthorns and 2 Medlars and Devon sorb apple (Cornus devoniosis).

One of the things that Forest Gardens planted with so many different cateories of food is the sheer variety available and with this comes a array of nutrition that does not appear in the modern diet. Eventually a well planned Forest Garden could have over 200 different fruits, berries, herbs, nuts,leaves ,flowers and various medicinal and chemical uses, besides providing fuelwood, stakes, bean and pea sticks, cordage and weaving material.

Could this type of organic farming be a model for the future efficient production of food, that will enable a growing population to survive? Already my diet has changed dramatically with over 50 different foods in quantity this year alone, with more being added all the time.

Medlar Big Russian ripening, they will be picked as late as possible and then left to ripen in a light cool area. To me they taste rather like dates and are highly nutritious

ripening every day like magic my Black Mulbery Illinoi to me these fruits taste like melon, the tree produces thoousands of them enough for the birds and me.



I am so lucky to be living here in West Wales when the conditions are right we get some fantastic sunsets especially in September so I thought I would share this with you.
Next time I have to share a really sad story with you as the March of Phytopthora gains a serious foothold in Pembrokeshire. Till then.