A few days ago, we picked the very first cherries….about a dozen in all, with just a handful more on the way!
I have a real hit & miss relationship with fruit trees. Indeed, I sometimes wonder why I bother at all….between the birds, fruit fly, scorching heat & lack of water, at times it seems like pure folly to pursue the dream. But as with most things garden-related, it’s a question of having the time to dedicate to making things work. We planted the first pair of cherry trees a very long time ago and lost them in a drought. We never picked a cherry in the years they were alive because the birds always got there first. Those were the years of the school run and working away from home each day. But even now I’m time poor when it comes to fiddly jobs, so I persuaded Alex to tie up the few bunches the birds hadn’t already pecked at with brown paper bags (just as we did with the grapes last December), and just look at the end result! The variety is Stella, and they’re absolutely delicious.
I know it’s a lot of work for such small reward, but it does mean one truly appreciates each & every delectable bite!