I titled this post "Dreams awaken", not only because we get to stay and realise our dream further - but also because we did something special yesterday. Something we've wanted to do for a very long time!
We visited a nursery to buy edible food plants. All the effort which went into building our retaining walls finally came to it's ultimate conclusion, when our first fruit tress and herbs went into the ground.
After all the stress of the past few weeks, it was such an incredible experience visiting the nursery and selecting the trees which would be feeding our family for years to come. These weren't just a business transaction - they were an investment in our future. We didn't feel the least bit guilty coming home with 6 kinds of citrus trees.
Eureka Lemon
Leng Navel Orange
Tahitian Lime
Emperor Mandarin
Washington Navel Orange
This was my favourite find, a Marumi Kumquat! I've always wanted to try a Kumquat and as it happened, the nursery had one in a display pot, in fruit! The lady welcomed me to try one. The flavour was incredible. Just as your face screws up from the bitterness, a delayed sweetness suddenly hits your pallet. I can imagine a marmalade or two from this wonderous bush!
The hardest part will be preventing our newest trees from fruiting for the first two seasons. But I hear that's the best practice for establishing citrus trees - putting their energy into root development, not fruit.
Here I am planting the first tree. The Kumquat! We ran out of daylight, so only got 3 citrus trees in yesterday. But we also got some herbs and native plants too - the latter we intend putting on our nature strip for privacy and wind breaks.
This was our other plant selection. It looks fairly ordinary at the moment, but in a few years time they will flower incredibly. I finally got myself some common mint, Italian parsely, corriander and rosemary for cooking too!
What also made yesterday special, was it being my birthday. I don't like big gifts or parties so I wasn't expecting much. I thought about "maybe" picking up somthing from the nursery, so when we ended up doing the rounds, coming home and actually planting some of this stuff in - well, it felt better than even the best compost mound you could ever make!
I can't believe what a difference planting a tree makes!
Happy planting in your gardens!
Wonderful news for you all! And wonderful to see you planting your future pantry. Fruit & vegies are buffers against so many things, ill-health, chemical laden food, unemployment, stress etc etc etc
ReplyDeleteWTG, glad everything worked out for you
Blessings:)
Thanks molly. And you're right about the fruit and veg. It's good for so many things.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your encouragment when the chips were down. :)
aaargh citrus, if only I could find some for down here
ReplyDeleteDon't they sell any your way blinddog? It's annoying when you can't find something you're after.
ReplyDeleteIf I take any cuttings, do you want me to send some your way? Mine are grafted onto a different root stock, so I'm not sure how the tree would go from a cutting.
If you can't find any though, it's worth a try.
Chris how lucky you are to have the room for full size trees, I am so jealous!! All mine are dwarf...
ReplyDeleteCan I ask where you got them from, as those prices are great! I have only seen them for about $25...
Also congrats on your hubby's new job.... Looking forward to reading more about the Bushland project!
How lucky you are too, as I was chasing dwarfs but everywhere I went they were out of stock.
ReplyDeleteThe place we got our under $20 trees from was opposite the Merangandan pub, at the Newsagents. They had good quality plants at very reasonable prices. There stock was better than some of the nurseries we visited.
Not sure how much they carry though, as I think we happened to be passing not long afer they received a plant delivery.
We had lunch at the pub (we very rarely go out) and that's how we came across the plants across the street. Lovely place, worth a drive!