Winter fruit

I have always loved fruit trees - something about the fruit-bearing process, the way spring brings the trees to life, and the excitement of watching fall and winter buds turn to blossoms and then to long-awaited fruit. The best part of all? Fruit you grow at home tastes nothing like fruit you buy at the grocery store; there's a sweetness, a softness, a buttery-ness to the flavor. Since my homegrown crops are always small I like to savor the few of each kind of fruit we produce (except kumquats - we have 1000 of them - please come and take some home!). The whole experience makes you slow down and appreciate each bite of what you're eating.

I also love the winter garden, and the image of young fruit not yet ripe, so full of promise.

Here's our fuji apple tree - aren't the apples beautiful?
Our very mature kumquat tree that, in the fall, smells like heaven. Every one of those fruits was once, back in August, a sweet-smelling flower.
Here's a (not-so-great) view of all the trees: Persimmon, peach, apple, kumquat, orange.
And here's Nick (what's a post without a picture of him?). I take him outside every day to "visit" our trees - otherwise they get lonely!