a few baby pictures...fruit babies.

Well, my deer situation is still a work in progress and it is pretty depressing to go into all the details so here are a few happy pictures of baby fruit.

baby plums on the west tree

 Last year this tree had maybe four tiny plums.  It was the first time it had set fruit and just as they were starting to turn color they disappeared.  This year there are a least 20 on the branches.  The largest ones are already about the size of an almond in the shell and similar in shape.  Last year those first couple of fruit never got this big the whole season.  The other tree did not have any fruit last season and this year I have so far spotted only a couple of very tiny fruit.  It may be that this year that tree, the east tree, is doing what the west tree did last year. 

from a different angle

 Last year was the second year that we had apples on our two trees.  The first year we got maybe a dozen of smallish apples from each tree.  Last year, the second year we got only a few apples from the east tree but at least 20 or more of large, very nice apples from the west tree. 

baby apples on the east tree

apples on the west tree

 The grapes are full of clusters.  Just loaded.  This is the purple grape.  It has seeds and is very tiny and makes great jelly. 

baby grape clusters

 These are the raspberries.  They are tiny gray beads right now, but they will turn red and then black.  The canes are full and once they start to turn it will be a race to see who gets more, me or the birds. 

black raspberries

No fruit coming on the two pears.  Still waiting for their first fruit production.  Other fruit that we have planted recently but not gotten fruit from yet are the sand cherries, the elderberries, the cranberries and the gooseberries.  They were only planted last year so it may be too soon to expect any but I will be checking them out just in case. 

Other stuff--the greenhouse is empty.  It was just too hot for plants so the last of the plants are up by the house waiting for the deer situation to be better managed before they go in the ground.  The timer is working great for watering.  I have adjusted the timing a couple of different times hoping to discourage the deer.  The lawn is mowed but the part mowed first is looking like it needs it again.  The potager is completely planted, both seeds and transplants.  I have been working on a decorative spot in the big garden that so far has a small piece of picket fence, a bench and a couple of perennial plants.  The bench is the only part that was not given to me by my sister.  Thanks, Lisa.  I am hoping to make a seated scarecrow for the bench as part of the grouping.