Ysarex
Been spending a lot of time on here!
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2011
- Messages
- 7,137
- Reaction score
- 3,686
- Location
- St. Louis
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
This photo comes with a story.
My wife and I are retired now (mostly) and my wife is a major gardener. I just tag along and when see says dig here I dig.
St. Louis is a doughnut hole city. Since I moved here 30 years ago the population of the metro area has doubled while the population of the center city has dropped by more than half (white flight). As a result St. Louis has vacant property including acres and acres of vacant lots that have become city property. The city will rent a vacant lot for $1.00 per year if you want to plant a garden. So my wife has three gardens; our back yard and two lots. The big lot is new as of last Spring and is a fruit tree orchard. Clare sprouted 9 peach trees from seeds and bought two apricot trees and two plum trees. Last Spring 7 of those peach trees plus the apricots and plums got planted (I dug).
Shortly after the trees were planted St. Louis got hit with one of the worst droughts in history and the hottest year on record. Vacant city lots don't have water. So we started carrying water. I could tell you how many gallons or liters but I remember it as 320 pounds every day in a trunk full of 6 to 2 gallon jugs. Had to carry it uphill from the car; every day for three months. We kept 11 trees alive (barely), but all 11 made it through. I have since developed quite an attachment to these trees.
Just now we've planted the other two peaches along with a cherry and a pear and an aronia -- that's 16 total.
I'm waiting for Google to update it's aerial view but for now here's Clare's urban orchard: 38.624276,-90.286358 - Google Maps
The drought has broken and Spring has seen the trees begin to blossom. One of the apricots bloomed first and here's those flowers!
Joe
My wife and I are retired now (mostly) and my wife is a major gardener. I just tag along and when see says dig here I dig.
St. Louis is a doughnut hole city. Since I moved here 30 years ago the population of the metro area has doubled while the population of the center city has dropped by more than half (white flight). As a result St. Louis has vacant property including acres and acres of vacant lots that have become city property. The city will rent a vacant lot for $1.00 per year if you want to plant a garden. So my wife has three gardens; our back yard and two lots. The big lot is new as of last Spring and is a fruit tree orchard. Clare sprouted 9 peach trees from seeds and bought two apricot trees and two plum trees. Last Spring 7 of those peach trees plus the apricots and plums got planted (I dug).
Shortly after the trees were planted St. Louis got hit with one of the worst droughts in history and the hottest year on record. Vacant city lots don't have water. So we started carrying water. I could tell you how many gallons or liters but I remember it as 320 pounds every day in a trunk full of 6 to 2 gallon jugs. Had to carry it uphill from the car; every day for three months. We kept 11 trees alive (barely), but all 11 made it through. I have since developed quite an attachment to these trees.
Just now we've planted the other two peaches along with a cherry and a pear and an aronia -- that's 16 total.
I'm waiting for Google to update it's aerial view but for now here's Clare's urban orchard: 38.624276,-90.286358 - Google Maps
The drought has broken and Spring has seen the trees begin to blossom. One of the apricots bloomed first and here's those flowers!
Joe
). Nice shot of the flowers. Hopefully they will bear fruit.
-- actually it'll be about 5 years to first harvest. One down and 4 to go. Remind me and I'll send you a jar of apricot jelly.
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