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May flowers on Feedbag Farm


April's showers have done their work and now the blossoms are out in our backyard kitchen garden. I'm not referring to the tulips and the bluebells, though they are out too, but the dainty pale pink and white blossoms that are the beginnings of juicy, brightly-coloured fruits to come over the coming months. I've been watching each day as those petals appear, telling me so much about the growing season ahead. I can already tell which fruits we'll be eating a lot, and which plants may be less fruitful. Here's what the blooms are telling me:

Apples - I'm sad that the blossoms on our apple tree are so few this spring. I see the bees working away on the few branches that have blossoms, so that's positive. But it may be a slow year for apples.

Pears - While the apple tree is sparse, the pear tree is loaded with white blossoms. It's shaping up to be the best year yet for pears since we moved into this old house.

Blueberries - The bushes have their lovely bell-shaped flowers, telling me we'll be plucking plenty of blueberries this summer. The kids will be happy.

Limes - I may be making mojitos direct from Feedbag Farm this year! Tightly-cupped white blooms have formed on the lime tree I bought last year and have been tending to in the greenhouse. The mint in the herb garden is also growing nicely, so I'll be muddling plenty and enjoying both with white rum.

Calamondins - The blossoms are out on this other greenhouse tree that produces small fruit similar in flavour to a lime but similar in appearance to an orange. It takes a year from blossom to harvest with these, though, so I'll be waiting a while.

Strawberries - There are two varieties of strawberries in the garden. Both have cheery white blossoms and will be the first to produce fruit in the garden come June.

Raspberries - This will be the first year we get raspberries on Feedbag Farm. Despite the fact that they grow fast and plentiful for most folks, our attempts the last couple years didn't take. This spring we have new growth and blossoms.

Rhubarb - Okay, so rhubarb doesn't blossom. It's not even a fruit. But I've already made my first harvest! Watch soon for a new recipe using gorgeous spring rhubarb.


What are your spring blossoms telling you about the growing season ahead? What will you grow this year? Will you be starting your very first kitchen garden? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!