Edible Plants

Summer is the best for all the fruit that the orchard provides, assuming that the conditions are optimal.


For the third year in a row, the cherries have escaped us. Three years ago the tree just didn't fruit a lot. Last year we saw the cherries were just about right for the picking the next day. The next day, they were completely gone...stinkin birds. This year we decided to net the tree, that was a hoot, and all for nothing. They got nice and red, but mom and dad said that they should get a deep red, so we waited. Apparently we waited too long, they rotted on the tree and never got to that deep red. Dad said that next year, he is just going to eat them green.


The grapes have been another problem fruit for my parents. They ripened the first year, and ever since, the japanese beetles get to them, along with some kind of rot. This picture doesn't look like concord grapes, but hopefully this year, they will get there.
The strawberries did wonderfully in the garden. Funny really, my dad decided that putting up the fence around the garden was just too much trouble this year, so we left it off. We thought for sure the berries wouldn't make it with any the bunnies and deer that come around. You know what, we had a plethora! My mom must have made 4 batches of strawberry jam and we had spinach and strawberry salad every night for a few weeks (I'm not complaining, that stuff is delicious)!