A fruitful life.

Today I went to the Yandina markets. I had to pick up Rain, she has been staying with her grandparents for the last three days. When she is not here I realise just how bright her spirit is in my life.



I bough a couple of tea-trees and a white flowering native westringia for my white garden but I was looking with envy at all the beautiful fruit trees for sale. I wanted to adopt them all and bring them home with me, especially the mango trees! We haven't had much luck with mangoes, avocados or lichee's because of the frosts. Which is sooo disappointing as these are my favourite fruits. (Sad smile with drool forming at the corners of my mouth.) Although technically we live in the sub-tropics we get a few frosts here in winter. Our first winter we got down to minus 9 degrees Celsius (which is about 16 degrees F), and we live in Queensland, Australia!
So I was making a mental list of all the food trees we do have that have survived so far!

apples (three varieties)

pears

peaches

nectarines

blueberries

white mulberries

red mulberries

black mulberries

yellow cherry guavas

cherry guavas

Indian guavas

cedar bay cherries

tamarillos

paw paws

strawberries

pecan nuts

macadamia nuts

mandarins

lemonade fruits

navel oranges

Valencia oranges

blood oranges

cumquat's

lemons

Brazilian cherries

figs

persimmons

raspberries

passion fruit

lillypillies

olives

coffee

I think that is most of them but would have to check with Peace. He knows all of the trees by name. So looking at my list now I'm thinking it's not a bad start...but I still want more...

Food Forest

We called in to the Eumundi markets yesterday morning. Caught up with some friends and bought some breakie. I had to take a photo of Rains healthy beakfast.

Mini pancakes with chocolate syrup and icing sugar!

I have just picked some dinner from the garden. It suffered a bit of damage in the big hail strom on Saturday but not as much as we expected.

Three types of lettuce, frilly pink, oak leaf and cos, spring onions, mint, oregano, garlic chives, parsely and a zucchini. I think I'll do a pasta with caramelized red onions and zucchini and make the rest into a salad.
I walked through the food forest this afternoon and there is so much in flower. The pecan tree has grown all its leaves back and is covered with flowers. They are long and look a little like an unripe mulberry.

The figs are having a growth spurt. Last year Peace made me some baked figs and honey...yummm...(dreamy look on face)... I will have to be extra nice to him when the figs ripen this year.

The coriander has gone to seed. It has such pretty, delicate little white blooms. I'll chuck the seed all around under the trees and we'll have heaps more popping up soon.

I always try to throw any extra seeds or seedlings in the food forest amongst the fruit trees. The little things that just pop up by themselves are a beautiful bonus. Self seeded stuff always seems to grow so well. I've just noticed lots of cherry tomato seedlings as well. They are so sweet and juicy and the kids pick them and eat them right out of the garden. (And throw them at each other too!)