Peachy

Peachy

Summer 2018

June 18, 2018 

June 28, 2018

A special little twig appeared in my garden a few years ago.

It happened when I was converting the space, not far from the screened porch, from four board-surrounded raised beds to a wilder area with winding paths and various highs and lows. I think the twig must have sprung from a peach pit that was in the compost bin. After a summer of canning peaches from a local orchard, and then a year of all the organic material rotting into rich compost, I had added the compost to one of the raised beds. I had not screened it, so a peach pit had escaped my notice.

At first I thought it was a little Willow tree, but as it grew it developed the distinctive yellowish cast of a young peach tree, and eventually it proved it to be so by bringing forth dark, shiny leaves, gracefully arched and very slightly toothed on the edges. I decided to let it be, to see what it would do, could do.

I'm so glad I did. Since we had gotten various varieties of peaches from the orchard, I had no way of knowing which kind this baby was. I also didn't know if it would ever bloom, and if the blooms would ever be pollinated well enough to produce any fruit, and if the fruit would be truly viable. But, it would be an interesting addition to what I then called the Herb Garden Transformation Project (HGTP). It would add height to one corner, and texture. It would mark one of the four entrances to the garden.

March 25, 2016 - HGTP seen from the south (under construction) - Volunteer Peach Tree sapling is in the far back corner

I took care of it the way one ought to take care of a peach tree.

February 27, 2018 - The very young peach tree, after pruning

Over time it grew more leaves, and then even bloomed with pretty pink flowers (though not profusely).

June 6, 2018

June 13, 2018 - HGTP from the southeast - Volunteer Peach Tree in middle back, Giant Burdock to the right

Through the seasons, the Volunteer Peach Tree (VPT) in the HGTP experienced changes in and of itself. It also developed new relationships with its surroundings, both within the tree and on the outside.

February 11, 2018 - Icy peach tree (before pruning) bedecked with winter bird feeders. Later, I hung and old blue teapot on the far side of the tree and put black sunflower seed in it - I saw birds going in and out of the teapot frequently.

March 21, 2018 - morning

June 25, 2018 - Yarrow and Tina James' Magic Primroses blooming, Giant Burdock at top right, Volunteer Peach Tree at top.

July 5, 2018 - Luffa vine reaching for the peach tree

August 3, 2018 - Luffa blossom in the peach tree

September 23, 2018 - Luffa fruit growing from vine in Volunteer Peach Tree

In July, while checking around in the tree, I discovered that the Volunteer Peach Tree had its first bird's nest!! Nestled in the branches, about halfway between the trunk and branch tips, the nest was neat, and a little tipped toward the inside. I never did see a bird flying to or away from it, and it was too high for me to look inside for eggs.

July 5, 2018

July 16, 2018

August 4, 2018

July 29, 2018 - the HGTP seen from the west, with the peach tree in back, and Cardinal Flower blooming in the middle

September 7, 2018 - Volunteer Peach Tree (left) as seen from the screened porch, with Red Torch Tithonia in bloom nearby.

Besides bird building nests or using the bird feeders, birds also sought temporary refuge in the leafy summer peach tree. Other refuge-seekers included dragonflies, butterflies, and other insects. Its leaves were providing food for some caterpillars.

September 23, 2018 - a well-worn Black Swallowtail butterfly visits a Red Torch Tithonia blossom near the Volunteer Peach Tree. Chewed holes are visible on some peach tree leaves in the background.

One day, in mid-August, I was rummaging around in the branches, looking for the nest. For some reason, I could only see it from certain angles, and I was challenging myself (unsuccessfully) to see it from a particular angle.

That was when I discovered the most surprising change that has happened, thus far, with the Volunteer Peach Tree.

My eye caught a different color within the branches before me. I parted the branches and found something softly yellowish. Or orange-ish. Or pinkish. Peachy.

I reached out to touch it and found it was full, roundish and a little fuzzy. I applied just a bit of pressure and, yes, there was a little bit of give. Before I thought to take a photo of this prize, I plucked it. I held it in my palm, cupping my hand around it, feeling the soft warmth, marveling at the fact that it was what it was.

It was a sort of funny shape, not perfectly round, but in my eye the Volunteer Peach Tree's first-ever peach was perfect.

August 13, 2018 - First Peach!

I brought it into the porch, where Richard was reading in his rocking chair. When I got his attention I held it out toward him, saying, “Guess what I just found in the Volunteer Peach Tree?!”

I brought it into the kitchen for the moment of truth – the slicing open of the first peach.

It was a little overripe near some edges. Still, I had found it at just the right time, in full ripeness, still edible.

Then, the first taste of the first peach. It was warm, juicy, and with a perfect sweetness that filled the senses. I brought a slice out to Richard and he expressed the same.

I cut up a few slices into bits to flavor some kombucha that I was decanting for the second-ferment process.

The rest of the peach – we both savored.

I checked through the whole tree and found that this was the only peach it had produced. Had it put all its effort into making one truly wonderful fruit?

I will keep tending the Volunteer Peach Tree. It will keep acting as a haven for birds, insects and others. Its trunk and branches will thicken, and some branches will be pruned.

Hopefully, its branches will not only continue to flower and fruit, but will hold even more orbs of sweet, peachy perfection next summer.

September 24, 2018