We had an old peach tree in our garden-I don’t know what variety-it must have been decades old. It had the most delicious free-stone peaches ever. I think the poor tree died from old age. It gave out gradually so that at the end only one small branch was producing. I admit it- I cried when it gave its last gasp. Rick was kind enough to make me a curving beautiful hand carved “wand” from its wood and some of the trunk remains in the garden- a sort of organic marker of times past.
In thinking what I wanted to plant in its place, I considered a pie cherry. You know of course what a fiend I am for tart pie cherries so it would be a good choice. But in the end I longed for a peach tree where it had always been- framed at the end of our pergola- bridal in springtime and gracing us with peaches for Rick’s favourite peach pie in late Summer.
Several years ago, Saturn (or donut)peaches began to appear in the gourmet market- at first they were luscious, sweet and juicy -the height of peachyness. Then commercial greed caught on and “The Market” took hold and now we notice that they are picked green. Hello?!- you can’t pick peaches green and expect them to taste good- they do not continue to convert sugar and ripen once they are picked. So you might get good looking large donut peaches this way but they are tasteless. So we’ve ceased to buy them- I pick them up at the grocery and smell- if a peach doesn’t smell like a peach in the market don’t buy it – you’re wasting your money.
We decide to plant a dwarf Stark Bros. Saturn Peach, the wee little tree had several half dollar sized peaches on it when we snagged it at the nursery. I didn’t want to lose them by planting the peach until they were harvested so we’ve waited until fall to plant and lately have been plucking little jewels of juicy peach goodness- literal treasure that grows on trees. In a few weeks when it’s a bit cooler and the tree has recovered from harvest. We’ll plant her and let her set her roots before Winter comes. Hopefully next year we’ll have a whole new crop and a lovely peach tree to hold court in our garden.
I had one of those tastelss doughnut peaches for the first tim last week. Thanks for telling me they can be good.
You sound like a proud Mama, and you should be, those sure are pretty little peaches!
Sally- Thanks- oh they are so delicious!!
Garden magic of course 😉 My favourite book when I was a girl (well it still is too) was “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett- full of the magic of a garden xo
Oh lucky you. I just came across these for the first time this year. They were absolutely delicious.
I’m wondering what sort of magic you’re going to conjure with the wand?