The Peach Tree Saga

Up very early but probably still won't go outside.  The excessive humidity isn't helping the bronchitis!

The saga of the peach tree (outside the kitchen)

This tree is a seedling.  I think maybe Red Haven.  I have kept it halfway pruned and sprayed irregularly for a couple of year.
It is hardy since it escaped the frosts this year and set a heavy crop for such a young tree.

Once the fruit began turning color, the resident groundhog has been feasting regularly.  This morning I discovered he had guests:



I even found some fresh pits on the porch steps!.
 

Some of our heavy winds combined with the weight of the fruit caused a couple of major limbs to break.  I left them attached hoping the remaining bark would allow ripening.  Each day I would check but they were still too hard.  Of course each day meant I lost another feast of fruit.



Yesterday was the last straw!  I drug out the drop  cord, the electric saw and my new ladder.  I picked all the peaches from the broken limbs but left a few on the east side to see if they would ever soften.

 

after trimming,


This side of the tree shows the broken area better.


This is the complete harvest from yesterday.  I was happy to see some size and lots of blemish free peaches.


So, the peach tree lives for another year.........

Random Picture:

A Good Day's Work (for me)

Well we have been promised rain but it is beginning to look pretty iffy.....Accu weather says rain in 78 minutes.....we shall see.

Max  and I went out early this morning around 7:30 to begin our chores....his was the cows and mine was gardening.

I wanted to  re-till the strawberries and the east end of the garden before the rains came.  Grass was beginning to grow.  I decided to water the strawberries so I let the sprinkler run while tilling.  They needed it badly;  I didn't water them in when I planted them a few days ago because of promised rain.....

Tilled garden with very dark  red lettuces.  (Note Martin house in upper right hand)


and, at long last and a month  too late,  the Martin House in an upright position.

It took  a long time to get the cow man's attention but he did it!  So I am not complaining.  I will never take it  down again.

I have been working on cleaning the border along the edge of the New Bed and Light Pole bed.  I am happy to report it is done.

This was this morning's work:


and I did this a couple of days ago,



I was happy to see some remaining  peaches and pears after our freezes and  winds.






My first iris is in bloom;  from a neighbor so I call it Lisenby's iris,



Still blooming:  Kerria, lilacs, one lonely self-seeded money plant (lunaria), the ugly iris, two clematis, an odd daff or two.

I will risk planting sweet corn very soon (as the  oak leaves are the size of mouse ears).