These photos, taken in September show our fabulous fig harvest this year. This fruit, first mentioned in Genesis, can survive our winters in South Central PA with just a wee bit of extra care. This year we had fruit on our fig since the end of June, a bumper crop of the sweet fruit which once dried is five times sweeter then fresh.
The vine, the olive, the palm and the Fig were crops basic to ancient civilizations. Considered essential to health and well being, everyone tended at least one fig tree, even the most modest homeowner. It was a fruit, a dessert, a sweetener and a gentle laxative.
There are over 700 varieties, ours is Brown Turkey, but all bear the familiar pear shaped fruits. Depending upon where it is grown and how it is pruned, it can be considered a large shrub or a small tree. Botanically, figs are different from other fruits, when like magic the fruit just appears among the leaves. It was baffling how fruit could appear without the presence of flowers. I considered a midnight vigil with the flashlight to catch sight of the elusive flowers when I learned the ancient secret of the fig. The fruit is a hollow receptacle called a syconium with countless flowers inside! You never see the flowers of a fig. When fertilized, the numerous seeds inside form and the fruit develops flesh to protect them. Commercially grown figs can require a specific fig wasp to fertilize them - ours is self fertilizing.
If you're ever in our garden and you spot a ripe fig, feel free to ask if you can sample the fresh fig. We're happy to share the fruits of our harvest!
Maclura pomifera, commonly called Osage Oranges or Hedge-Apples, .JPG)
is a native American plant, found mostly from Missouri through Oklahoma and in the other Great Plain States. It grows well in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia also. As a native plant, it was used by the Indians as bow wood. The thorny thickets were planted as enclosure hedges for cattle during colonial days. They make great pomanders, as a substitute for rare oranges and they are also a source of orange and green natural dye. Many places list the Osage oranges as plants that repel insects, especially cockroaches. We like to use them in our holiday decorating. It is easy to poke a dowel rod in the hedge orange and poke them into a planter. They are beautiful sprayed gold as well and are always a conversation piece. Visit here for additional information..JPG)
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The Friday after Thanksgiving, is our annual Holiday Tea. There is much preparation involved in getting this organized - from menu planning to decorating to enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with family... it can be a bit hectic (so much so that I forgot to take any pictures on the day of the tea alas). This special event is one that has become a tradition for many of my guests. This year, I was surprised with a beautiful shiny green box - a present that featured an adorable teddy bear perched upon a tea cup, enjoying tea. The mother and daughter that presented the gift to me told me they just felt it belonged in a tea room! How thoughtful is that! Teddy will indeed find a special spot in the tea room, and every glimpse of him will remind me how thankful I am for tea room customers that have become good friends.
