As a child growing up in my father’s little fruit orchard, I was enchanted by the variety of fruit trees and bushes heavy with their sweet and colorful offerings.
When I say “orchard”, what I really mean is backyard but, it felt like an orchard to us with rolling hills and abundance of trees, ideal for extended games of hide-and-go-seek. There were plenty of places to hide while sustaining yourself on fruit till you won the round!
On such a small plot of land, my father had managed to create a thriving fruit garden containing apples, pears, plums, cherries and every kind of berry you can imagine…the most mysterious of all, the gooseberry!
With a wooden ladder stretched high into the tree, I would toss the ripe fruit down to my brother to fill the buckets scattered around the yard. Dropping an incoming apple or pear on the ground was a big no-no! To our picky-kid palettes, any fruit that had a bruise on it was “yucky” and only suitable for a pie…and oh, the pies we ate!
We had no idea how lucky we were.
Now, 40 years old and arguably grown up, I am considering which fruit I will cultivate on my own piece of land. Working at The Bayside, this is something I get to think about a lot. This year, I have decided on goji berry, grapes, blueberry and rhubarb – all of which we offer for purchase here. (Click here for great tips on growing and pruning your fruit bushes & trees.)
Why consider gro
wing fruit? Pie!!!
In addition to pie, fruit contains a high level of anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and soluble/insoluble fiber. They are fun to snack on, bake with or muttled into your favorite cocktail. Fruit is great dried or frozen for consumption in the winter months.
To begin creating your own enchanted fruit orchard stop on into The Bayside now to get your June & ever-bearing strawberries, grapevines, high bush blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, goji and our Cape Breton favorite, good ol’RHUBARB.
We do accept any and all pie offerings come harvest time!
*Blog written by Bayside staff : Amanda MacDonald