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A fig tree with a trim of spring flowers. Mainly daisies
I have just found out why every year figs appear and then drop early. In March, April the trees are full of small figs, smaller than a walnut and suddenly they all drop and it looks as though you've lost your crop for the year. These are the male fruit and once they're gone the females appear to swell and ripen . They will be ready for picking in July and August
The wild poppies are in full bloom right now. But this is not the year of the poppy. Usually the fields are full of them and they blanket the olive groves. This year there are just small clumps here and there.
Loquat. Or mousmoula in Greek
Every year I see this tree full of fruit which nobody picks.
It's down a steep bank in the garden of a house whose owners only come for a few weeks in the summer. Such a pity. The terrain is too rough for me to try and get down there
This is the inside of the loquat. There are 4 or 5 stones in there and they are easy to plant. The trees grow quickly .
The grapevines haven't been strimmed yet
These balls of seeds are huge. Much bigger than a tennis ball. I've never seen such large ones
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Great Spring photos. Especially the Poppies Linda.
ReplyDeleteI have taken a few poppy photos but this one is definitely the best
DeleteWow - that explains the figs. We had noticed that too. Those balls of seeds come on top of quite pretty purple-ish flowers but we have no idea what they are. Mousmoula used to drop all over the pavements in Piraeus and just get squashed!
ReplyDeleteAfter so many years I was fascinated to learn about male and female figs. I pass a few trees most days on my walks and always look to see how the figs are growing....or dropping. Now I know. There are so many wild flowers and grasses now and they're all very tall. Maybe that's why the poppies are few and far between this year
DeleteI tried to grow a loquat but that year we got heaps of rain and it drowned My grandmother had one in her yard and I really would love to have a taste of one again. Might give it another go. Those giant balls would be fun to wish on and blow the seeds apart
ReplyDeleteI wonder now if you will get a season without too much rain! But you must try try again. Once it's established it should grow easily. Says me
DeleteWe had a loquat next to the front door when we lived up north but got rid of it as it was so messy, dropping large leaves.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's why K doesn't want one. We had one growing in a pot but he didn't want to plant it in the garden
DeleteWould the seed balls be from some sort of thistle?
ReplyDeleteI haven’t seen wild poppies down here at all. At least there’s something somebody hasn’t let go out into the bush. Conservationists are always ‘complaining’ about introduced species being let free
It's definitely a thistle. Theseed heads are normally the size of a golf ball. I don't know if its the year of the thistle or it's a different type
DeleteI've never heard of a Loquat, I must make enquiries! No leaves on the Figs here yet, but my vine is sprouting.
ReplyDeleteOur fig trees have taken off in the last 2 months and are full of leaves now. Our vine has the start of grape bunches. Maybe we will have a decent harvest this year
DeleteI've heard of Loquat but never tried the fruit as for figs the texture of them disagrees with me.
ReplyDeleteI like figs fresh, not too enthusiastic about the jam
DeleteLoquats grow here in Louisiana. They are delicious. They stand up to colder weather than expected; temps. down to 25 F don't bother them here. They bloom in the fall, and the fruits form from then until the end of March here, zone 8b. Kids eat them by the ton, and they make good jam by themselves or added to peaches later in the season. But I had to freeze the loquats for 2 or 3 months, to mix them w peaches. Small tree hardy, long lived, doesn't need another to be pollinated. Bees flock to it.
ReplyDeleteA very easy fruit tree to grow. We just eat the fruit fresh. If I ever get given enough I'll try the jam
ReplyDelete