100 Flowers : #022 #023 #024 #025 dreaming of fruits to come

Before the blossom fades and is blown away in the stiff breeze, here are flowers that promise delicious fruits later in year . . .

#022 Prunus domestica

Greengage var: Cambridge Gage

Regular readers of PPPs will know how much I love Greengages, more specifically the best gage of all the very best fruit in the whole world* – the Cambridge Gage. This is a variation of the wild cherry plums that was found somewhere in a Cambridgeshire hedge, it reproduces by suckers which are of course identical to the parent tree. The blossom is one of the earliest top-fruit trees to flower so is vulnerable to late frost and cold dull weather when there will be no pollinating insects.

* my personal opinion

#023 Pyrus communis

Pear var: Beurre Hardy

Another fruit blossom vulnerable to a late frost or non-pollination because of inclement weather, a dessert pear. This one is Beurre Hardy, it's a young tree I'm attempting to train against our garden wall. So far we have only had 3 or 4 fruits . . . they where indeed delicious - sweet, juicy and butter-soft flesh.

#024 Ribes uva-crispa

Gooseberry var: Invicta

The warm spring weather means the flowers are fading fast and little fruits forming on the Gooseberry bushes, but I wanted to show the flowers because they are very pretty and quite unusual. Look at the little upturned rust coloured petals! When the fruit forms these will be the dry tuft or 'nub' on the bottom of the Gooseberry. 

And yes Gooseberries are a perfect accompaniment to rich Goose meat or with Mackerel, as the french name Groseille à Maquereau suggests.

#025 Ribes rubrum

Currant var: White Versailles

Surprisingly a White Currant is a Red Currant (Ribes rubrum) without the colour, and because it has no bitter red colour the flavour is slightly sweeter. As you can see, the flowers are similar to those of the Gooseberry to which it is closely related, but they grow along long dangling stalks. White Currants can be made into the most beautiful sophisticated jellies or water ices . . . but unless I protect the ripening fruit form the birds it will be but a dream.

One thing you learn from growing you own fruit, is not to count your fruits before they and ripe and ready to pick. Blossom may promise the delights of sweet juicy fruits . . . but promises are there to be broken.

Meanwhile, a girl can dream!

Celia

xx