Definitely doable

avatar

IMG_2979.jpg

It was a simple stroll around the farm, so familiar and so ordinary. Except from a small detail. I was away for two and a half months and in a few days I'll be away for another five months and that's how it is going to be from now on. Kind of remote farming that has nothing to do with technology and futuristic applications. But since I am talking about olive groves, it is definitely doable.

IMG_3022.jpg

May is a crucial month that determines, in a great degree, the next year's production. Olive trees are now in the process of blooming and fruit making and I am looking forward to see how it will go. In any case this stage is only an indication of what the actual harvest will be. I mean that there are many factors that can and will reduce the original fruits of each tree till the time comes to collect them. So even if everything goes ideal now we can't be sure that we'll have a good production but we can be sure that if now there are no fruits on the trees, we are not going to have any in November either.

IMG_3003.jpg

IMG_3072.jpg

For now I can see that we are not going to have an abundant year, like the previous one but it is a little early to say more. After all it is only usual for a good year to be followed by a bad one and so on. My job now is to monitor the process and make sure I protect the olives from the rival pests and most of all the notorious and practically invincible, olive fruit fly.

IMG_3000.jpg

IMG_3015.jpg


But there are many more trees in the farm that do not require my care. Of course I don't cultivate them for an income so my expectations are not very high. Anyway most of those trees are here before I come and will probably still be, long after I am gone :)

IMG_3007.jpg
The almonds are fully formed, they will be ready at the end of the summer.

IMG_3067.jpg

IMG_3017.jpg

IMG_3019.jpg
The baby carobs, aren't they very cute?

IMG_3024.jpg

IMG_3025.jpg

The pears (above) and the apricots (below) are growing beautifully but I'll probably won't be here when they are ripe. But don't worry they won't be wasted :)

IMG_3028.jpg

IMG_3030.jpg


IMG_3045.jpg

IMG_3037.jpg
Four pictures for the pomegranate blooming! Aren't they magnificent?

IMG_3044.jpg

IMG_3043.jpg


IMG_2998.jpg

I don't have any worries about the caper, it's a hard fellow and keeps growing every year even if I keep cutting it every winter :)

And a nice surprise! Some strawberries that I had forgotten I had planted! They weren't many but their taste was divine. With no extra watering other than the (very few) rain, their aroma was skyrocketed!

IMG_3010.jpg

IMG_3011.jpg


A fig tree that @traisto planted herself and the last of our hives with no bees to be buzzing anymore. I should remember to take it to the storage.


IMG_3040.jpg

IMG_3041.jpg

The Blackberries are something that I'll miss, being away when they'll be ripe but I am sure that I'll find something to comfort my loss :)

IMG_3033.jpg

I could name the picture above "welcome to the jungle" :)

This is a piece of land border with our own. We used to take care of it but not any more and apparently no-one does. The abandonment in combination to the regeneration of an old (former dry) spring that provided an abundance of water, led to this beautiful chaos!

The untended vineyard is all over the place creating a green carpet and expanding on the trees and to every available space!

IMG_3066.jpg

IMG_3035.jpg

IMG_3064.jpg

It is the same spot that @traisto and myself had done our first herb garden, a tiny version of the next one. The extra water was a gift for that plants too and especially the lavender and the aloe, are growing wildly :)

IMG_3050.jpg

IMG_3052.jpg

IMG_3051.jpg



The rosemary is doing great too, the vineyard is here too (obviously :)) and although our bees are not around any more, there are other nectar loving insects to take advantage of the lavender blooming!

IMG_3058.jpg

IMG_3060.jpg

IMG_3063.jpg


All the pictures and the words are mine.

Thank you for reading and if you want to know more about me you can check out my introduction post.

Commenting, upvoting and rebloging are highly appreciated!



0
0
0.000
17 comments
avatar

Wow sounds like a fruit heaven, I want some of those pears and olives... Hehe

0
0
0.000
avatar

Haha, you have to come over here to get them :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Beautiful… all of it. Such delicate captures.
All so familiar from my gardens in Spain. Thanks for sharing.
Have a lovely day 👋🏻😊

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes, I guess you have seen a lot of this in Spain :)
Thank you very much for stopping by!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yep, I did 😉
You are welcome, have a lovely Wednesday 👋🏻

0
0
0.000
avatar

Amazing garden, you are really living the dream to be honest! The photographs are amazing.

The "remote" gardening rings so close to home with me. My other half lives 1200km away from me. So I am also constantly traveling; missing flowers that bloom only a specific time each year, fruits, and grains. But it is always so beautiful when you return after a long time away and everything blooms so beautifully; the fruits are hanging heavy.

Thank you so much for sharing a slice of your heaven!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you very much for your kind words and for letting me know that I am not in this "remote thing" alone :)
Good to know that others are doing it too!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Indeed! It is not the optimal situation but we as gardeners for sure know how to adapt to the situation we are in.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Great shots and it is really interesting to see what grows and thrives without "our" help.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Especially without our help. That's the best kind!

Thanks :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

It must be a little sad to have to leave again..I know you left willingly but you must miss it.

What happened to the bees? Were they relocated?

Lavender and rosemary are hardy things aren't they?

only usual for a good year to be followed by a bad one and so on

I find that with our plums. Now we are heading into the El Nina cycle it'll be less wet and our fruit production won't be as keen.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Not exactly sad. I would describe it like graduating high school. You know it is time to go, you want to go and see what is expecting you ahead but still it is only human to look back with a little nostalgia all those years that you spent there!

The bees died a couple of years ago. I am not sure if it was a wasps attack, a disease or some pesticide but all the beekeepers in the area had great loses and we only had one hive to loose!

In olive trees the good harvest every second year is very common. There is even an official term about this phenomenon, "Παρενιαυτοφορία" but I haven't find an English word for it!

0
0
0.000
avatar

That's cool you have a specific word for it!!! Google says it means 'alternate bearing of olive tree'. There you go! We have more words that necessary 😂

Shame about the bees. And looking back is understandable, fondly, no regrets.

0
0
0.000