Thursday, August 28, 2014

You can't cry over spilled milk




This has been a strange growing year.  



We have no pears, they froze and so did all of our other fruit trees.  Yes, even apples and plums. 








There was hope, our Interlaken grapes were ripening.







There would be enough Champagne Grape Jelly to share with friends and family. 

Not so.  In only 2 days,  flies, yes flies have destroyed our entire grape harvest.  

Have you heard of such a thing?  

Yellow Jackets and Wasps have had their way with our grapes in the past.  But NEVER flies.






So far the only fruit I have canned are Red Currants. 








Our root vegetables are doing well. 






And we have a fine crop of Sunflowers. 

So, all is not lost. 


Have a great remainder of the week my dear 
Friends, 

Gina 



10 comments:

  1. Dear Gina,
    What a shame about your fruit trees. Maybe they got damaged with the weather.
    My daughter in law's apricots were full of flies.. only a few bottles of jam.. the pears too.
    Your veggie garden looks healthy, at least the fruit flies don't eat them.
    At least you got some red currents ..
    Beautiful sunflowers. So very big.
    wishing you the rest of a good week.

    Thank you for leaving your kind comment on my post. val xxx

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    1. Dear Val, We had a late frost this past Spring. The trees are all right but the blossoms didn't make it. Every year something different happens to our gardens and orchard. So we tackle the challenge and hope for the best.
      We had a good year last year and so I have a lot of good things in the cellar.
      I always look forward to your posts. Have you thought about writing a book about your adventures?

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  2. Dear Gina,

    I learned recently that wasps are important for pollinating fig trees. (I wondered what they were good for!) Perhaps rather than fighting the wasps, you should consider giving them a few fig trees.

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    1. Dear Mark, Usually we have a lot of wasps. Not this year. Don't know what happened to them. Maybe the unusually cold weather this past winter did them in. Unfortunately fig trees do not grow here...too cold. And I love fresh figs. I know of a special fig tree right in the middle of a vineyard (under which we have had a few picnics) in Tavarnella Val di Pesa where we have eaten figs to our heart's content.

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  3. Sorry for the fruit trees, such pity...But you can be satisfied with your potager and your gorgeous sunflowers. Oh, your ceramics are divine, never tired to admire them.
    Olympia

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    1. Dear Olympia, We will have plenty of vegetables this year from our garden. But it is so unusual to have no fruit at all. Hopefully we will have a better Spring next year. The little ceramic cups are Capodimonte from Italy.

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  4. Special cups, remind me a bit of female statues on ships.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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    1. Hello Filip, You are so right. Had not thought of the connection. Yes, they look like these lovely maidens should be steering a ship across the seas.

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  5. As I read this post about the whims of weather and how those whims do affect anticipated bounty of lucious fruits, I really think that you've got a remarkable outlook. Spilt milk, indeed.

    So let me accept your gracious toss, and tell you how much I admire those two ceramic cups. What zest for life each one displays...such zest must have been a gift from the artist.

    I'd also like to offer you congrats on the upcoming book. I'm imagining how many folks will see the book's pages and begin to think of doing some painting of their own...or finding out how to become a collector of your very own fine creations.

    xo

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    1. Dear Frances, My little Capodimonte cups are definitely full of life. They say "I am here and I would like to be noticed".

      Just this morning I received an e-mail that a copy of my book is on its way to me...sooner than expected. I am excited to see it and will take a few pictures when it arrives so I can share it.

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