A trip to the nursery

This week we made a trip over the border into Northern NSW to pick up a few more trees to add to our home orchard.  Our destination was a large commercial fruit tree nursery, Daleys, near Kyogle.

After selecting 10 plants we stopped in at the shop and nursery attached to Tropical Fruit World near Murwillumbah and bought 3 more.

This was what we squeezed into the back of the old station-wagon to bring home -  and there were others on the floor inside.

At last count we had 68 different fruit, nut and vine food plants growing.  Now to be added are a Jak Fruit tree, a White Mulberry, a Rose Apple, a Custard Apple, a Babaco, a Japanese Raisin, a Granadilla, a Banana Passionfruit and a Cape Gooseberry.  There are also three new native food bearing plants - a Native Tamarind and a Small-leafed Tamarind tree and a Midyinberry bush. 

Another interesting plant we acquired on this expedition was a Yacon.  Also known as Apple of the Earth, the Yacon produces a sweet, crunchy edible tuber.  Although highly nutritious and easily grown (in warm climates), this vegetable is little known, but receives rave reviews from anyone who has ever tried it.  We can't wait for ours to come into production.

But before we can start dreaming of all the luscious produce we'll be dining on in years to come, there are a lot of holes to be dug and a few trellisses to be built!  The resident gardener has made a good start, but as his able assistant, I am currently taking a stint of sick leave while recovering from a double hernia operation - without doubt the result of over-exuberant hole-digging and rock-moving exercises in the past.

Here's the first tree to go in the ground. 

The new little Babaco is planted beside one of its relations, a young pawpaw.  Beside it are open bags of horse and chicken manure. 

Babacos are fast growers, so this one should be away and bearing in no time!

Comments

[Darla]

I've been reading your blog for ages and thought it was about time I gave you a big "hello" from California, USA.

DH is the gardener of our little plot. I just sit back, admire his work and reap the benefits is flowers and veggies.

I really enjoy reading about your corner of the world.

Here's hoping you recover from your surgery quickly.

Darla in CA

[Tjilpi]

What surgery? How come I don't know about that? There you are freezing the top half of kittens, and not letting me know that are being brain freezed by an anaesthetist while someone with a penchant for the knife takes a scalpel to you....

Defies gravity...

Please send me an email via the secure path...

xG

[Jude]

Nice to hear from you Darla. Why don't you get out there and work alongside DH. (You could be lucky and collect a hernia too!)

[Tabor]

Amazing how us gardeners consider hermia surgery just a blip of downtime in the grand scheme of things! I will enjoy seeing the blossoms and fruit on these new and interesting trees.

[Val]

Some people will do ANYTHING to get out of digging some holes! Seriously, hope you're not out of action too long, Jude.

[DellaB]

Hi Jude, me again - sorry to hear you've been 'under the knife' - the trick is not to be tempted to start digging holes again until you are fully healed up again.
Get Well Soon.
Della