FRUIT!

Raspberries are forming . . . WAY more than last year.

I can't believe we have grapes, I feel so Mediterranean!

I actually found a few pink strawberries outside while gardening today; we'll be eating strawberries in May!

I know that this is fairly obvious to all of you seasonal eaters out there, but to those who've never taken a crack at it, one of the bleakest things about winter is the fresh fruit deprivation.  I mean, apples are amazing.  How long they last, for months on end, is amazing.  But one longs for a little variety after a while.

And this family is not too strict.  We buy frozen and shipped fruit over the winter.  We were especially not too strict this past winter, since I had a baby in July (thereby missing the berry and peach storage--except for some strawberries a very pregnant woman managed to freeze).  This winter I hope to be better equipped.  My mother-in-law is hoping to teach me her fig preserve recipes (if they're ripe in time for my July visit to South Carolina) and thinks there might be some pears I could harvest off of a tree on my visit (I can see the battle with my husband as he loads the car for our return trip now).  But I digress . . .

When the rhubarb is full and elephant-leafed in the garden right near a new fig tree, a grape vine actually sporting grapes, strawberries, and black raspberry canes completely covered in raspberries . . . I feel blessed.  When I'm actually eating this fruit, I may be giddy.

Next year I think I'm planting a few gooseberry plants . . .

My Mediterranean Fruit Garden

A dramatic side angle shot of the new space.

So, some of my readers (well, OK, one that I know of) thought that the chopping down of the butterfly bush a few entries back was very sad.  And I realize that I have been neglecting the flowers for the vegetables these days--but I am happy to show the end result for a little corner garden next to my patio out back.  The aforementioned butterfly bush used to stand where the fig tree is now featured above.  [On a side note, I do expect the fig tree will not remain a large upright twig as time passes.]  The bush used trail over into the kids' sandbox and onto the backs of our heads while we sat at the patio table.  The new sleek Mediterranean fruit gardenette is both beautiful, less crowding, and--we hope--richly fruitful.  The rhubarb, which thankfully survived the tree/bush removal, has much more room now, and looks lovely between the fig tree and grape vine.  And the flower gifts I got from my sweet Easter guests look wonderful in front.  An edger and a little mulch (thank you Owen, another item from his Spring break list) and . . . viola!

The daisy close-up.

Micah gives it his seal of approval.

Micah actually found FIGS on our stick of a fig tree!  We are beside ourselves with excitement . . . that is, Micah and I are.