farm photos...our kitchen orchard

 
I thought you might like a peek at the first blooms of our Kitchen Orchard...this time of year is the prettiest time, with all the rose-like buds and soft colors.

Yellow Transparent Apple...just perfect for applesauce!

Fuji Apple...our favorite sweet/tart apple for eating.

Contender Peach...makes such tasty jam. And since I'm the only one who likes peaches,
they're all for me!

Next is the D'anjou pear tree...sweet and juicy.

Last, and oh-so cute, is the tiny Seckel Pear. Thought to be the only truly American pear, they're sometimes called a sugar pear or a candy pear because of their sweet taste.

Now as pretty as these blooms are, they are also tender. Should the temperatures dip, as they often do once the blooms come on, we'll be out there with our hoses spraying them with water.

I know, I know...that sounds crazy, but this little trick we have up our sleeves will actually save the buds, and future fruit when a threatening freeze is in the forecast. We will coat the tree with water, which will freeze. And while that sounds like it would damage the blooms, in the end, that layer of ice will protect the fruit that's developing. Why? Well science tells us that when water freezes, it produces energy in the form of heat, which will protect the buds from the bitter cold. 

Yep...it certainly does sound counter-productive, but we figured if it works for the orange growers in Florida, it just might work for us, too.

So we do this...

 
to enjoy this!

It's hard to wait!