Impatience.

{Fig trees tips waking up.}

I've learned a lot of things from practicing Bikram yoga, and probably the biggest thing that I've learned is that life, like yoga, is constantly evolving. You're a different person in your practice (be it yoga practice or the practice of living) everyday - physically, mentally, emotionally. I've not only come to accept that, but to look forward to and trust the process. However something that has been consuming me of late is impatience.

 

Impatience with what persay? As much as I'm enjoying the barrage of snow we've been getting off and on here in the eastern part of France, I'm impatient for spring. I'm beyond excited for this new growing season in the Duggan Terrace Orchard, small as it may be.

{A closeup of our Brown Turkey fig tree. This is most likely a fig that will mature as part of a breba crop, if last year's breba crop is any indication.}

Maybe it's because I was in the US for the end of the growing season, or maybe because we actually got figs last year (about 20 - 10 breba and 10 main crop), but I can't stop planning and daydreaming about what this year's orchard will bring.

Assuming that everything comes back after being dormant this winter, we will have 9 fig trees in large pots, and 7 fig trees in small pots, ranging in age from almost a year old to almost 3 years old, and ranging in origin from down the street to Italy and Switzerland.

Also of note is that although one of my two lemon trees (both grown from seed) has passed on, the other is thriving and has even grown over the winter, about a foot to be somewhat precise.

It appears that most of my mirabelle saplings have survived as well, and are even beginning to wake up from their dormancy in the garage, proven by the green tips that are beginning to show.

I didn't plant any new fruit tree seeds this winter, because just about every seed I planted last winter grew, rooted and survived, and we just don't have any room for any more at the moment.

{Apple blossom buds beginning to get fuzzy.}

So my goal for this growing season for the orchard? Work to make each tree that we have as happy and healthy as possible. This means re-potting some trees into larger pots, such as the lemon tree and one of my five avocado trees.

 

Here's hoping for some patience in the meantime...

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey

PS: Wanting to try to propagate your own fig trees this year? Well in case you missed it, here's a tutorial! Happy fig tree growing!