Checking the harvest

 

Checking the harvest

Our blueberries have come to nothing again this year. We suspect a lack of rain may be to blame. We have apples aplenty, and a fair amount of stone fruit – greengages and plums, and even a few apricots, which mostly seem to fall before they ripen. 

Plums

                                                     Greengages 

🎜Cherry ripe, cherry ripe🎝

Cherry - it's not really the size of an apple!

Pear

Apricot - again, another close-up!

The cherries have been a treat for the birds, though we have eaten a few. There are pears on a couple of trees – they’re not often successful. They didn’t have enough water at the right time, either. There are lots of crab apples – I might even do something with them this year, although, again, as with most things, we grow them for the wildlife.

Crab apples

Raspberries are growing very well, and we have enjoyed a handful. 

I couldn’t understand why there were so many leaves and unripe berries on the ground. I assumed Barry had been pruning them – it’s a bit of a jungle out there - but he claimed innocence.

 Jellicoe preceded me down the path

What a mess!

Latterly, Gilbert has been spending a long time in the garden, not coming in as swiftly as normal when he’s called. We noticed that he was licking his chops as he came indoors and couldn’t think what he had found to eat. We were a little concerned, though we were pretty sure there was not much out there to damage him. Then we caught him, expertly sucking the raspberries off the canes. They grow at just the right height for him to reach.

                                                    Searching

 Getting closer

Nearly there!

                                Get stuck in there, lad. That's right! 

 Roxy hasn’t caught on yet, though I’m sure she will. They both like fruit.

The strawberries are ripening, but they’re too high for the dogs to pick. The birds will not have much competition.

Our first Labrador, Whisky, was three years old when she came to us. She really appreciated having a home of her own, and spent her first year or two before we were married, living in the officers’ mess, attending lectures, and enjoying a dish of beer in one of the local pubs. She used to eat blackberries from the hedgerows. She did it so delicately, but then, Labradors have incredibly soft mouths.

Raspberries!

 

Raspberries!

The first raspberries of summer had to be picked quickly before Roxy realised and sucked them off the canes. There are more to come, which will make up for a distinct lack of strawberries and cherries.

We may still get strawberries and blueberries and there are plenty of plums, greengages, apples and pears to come – if the birds don’t get them first, which actually I wouldn’t mind too much! Every little mouth needs feeding. We all have our place in the universe.