In our so-called orchard we have assorted elderly trees that produce strange sour or hard small fruits, which we struggle to identify. One tree however, regularly gives us sweet yellow juicy plums. I was told it was a Reine Claude (French for greengage) but I don't now think it is. The plums are too big. Despite its wizened appearance the tree produces a bounteous crop every two years - recovering from its bounteousness in the year between. In fact the crop was so abundant two years ago that several of the larger branches broke under the weight of the fruit.
We're in for another bumper harvest this year, so to help the tree Tod has been doing some major thinning out. The thinned plums are still small and quite inedible. That does not stop Vita however believing that she has to guard them, just in case Bertie should want some.
Link:
The Claude Rains Reine Claude
I loved this so much. So earthy, so real, sharing of life. The fur babies are precious, the plums and grasses green, and hubby is very busy.
ReplyDeleteThank you, for sharing.
Hi Wild Magnolia, thank you for stopping by. It does feel very special. And it was lovely to be under the shade of the old plum tree.
ReplyDeleteOur Reine Claude had gone biennial too...we had crutches under the branches as even with thinning the poor old thing was very fragile.
ReplyDeleteTypical dog, guarding the booty....
What a crop, Sue! Is there anything you can do with the thinnings? It seems a shame to waste such bounty. We have a similar tree which only crops well occasionally, probably because it's getting old. The plums are wonderful to eat straight from the tree.
ReplyDeleteThose doggies are just so adorable. We split our time between France and the UK so keeping pets is not a feasible option. We used to have an Airedale and she was just the best dog ever.
ReplyDeleteOur plum tree didn't fruit last year but we're hoping for a bumper crop this year.
Hi Fly, When our plums are ripe I must post a photo of them and then we can see whether our "Reine Claude?" is like yours. Yes, Vita is very food motivated, she can't bear the thought that Bertie might get something and she won't!
ReplyDeleteHello Perpetua, I like the "eating from the tree" scenario. :) I struggle to do much with the ripe plums. I make jam and we have tarts and desserts, but there are still far too many! So these unripe ones will be on the compost heap I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteHello Sue, thanks for your comment. Airedales are wonderful aren't they! :) Hope you too get a lot of plums.
ReplyDeleteThose two photos of the dogs helping are so great. I expect that you have printed and framed ones of the dogs already but the one of Bertie is really super!
ReplyDeleteHi Lesley, thanks for your comment. :) Bertie is very easy to photograph and very photogenic. One of the reasons why I fell for him in the first place - he just looked so adorable behind the bars of the rescue.
ReplyDelete