European Gardening: What's occuring in the backyard?, 1 by Patbarr

Patbarr wrote:
Hello everyone, I have joined Dave's garden this week and think it is a lovely friendly and informative site. I haven't used my computer so much for ages.

My garden is about half an acre and I have lots of new fruit trees. The old ones were about 90 years old and all on their own roots and so needed a ladder to pick the fruit. I have about 15 different varieties of apples, two sweet cherries, four pears, three plums and some nut trees also an almond and a quince oh and a new walnut tree.

At the moment I am wondering what to do with all the cherries - 50 lb so far off one tree. I've made jam, pies, wine, frozen some, eaten lots, given some away and sold some. Has anyone any good recipes for cherries?

I also grow all kinds of veg., flowers and shrubs, lots of roses - my favourites are Gertrude Jekyl, a gorgeously scented climber, and Indian summer - which is a lovely scented tea rose, soft apricot colour with bronze foliage and keeps on flowering all summer.

I have eight hens, Auracana, Silver laced wyandot, Speckeldy, and some strange looking hybrids from when I had a cockerel. Sadly he was too noisy for my neighbours and thought day break was 3 am all the year round.

Good gardening, Pat