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Contents6 From the editor |
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Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – Beyond the Meyer lemon
Written by Anna-Marie Barnes
This article was first published in Lifestyle Block
I’d like to survey every backyard in New Zealand, from Cape Reinga to Bluff, and count up all the lemon trees. I reckon you’ll find one more often than not, and chances are those trees will usually be the ubiquitous stalwart of the hardy citrus tribe, the Meyer lemon, and not without good reason. The section I grew up on sported a very large, very old Meyer. Upwards of forty years old and a good five metres in diameter, the tree formed a centrepiece in our garden, and my mother recounts regular instances of finding me quite happily stuffing the fruit, peel and all, into my mouth in alarming quantities. For cold-hardiness and reliable production of relatively sweet, juicy fruit, you can’t go past a Meyer, and they are a great starting point. But what of the other, lesser-known, but no less interesting members of the lemon clan? [Read more…] about Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – Beyond the Meyer lemon
Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – The Humble Choko
Written by Anna-Marie Barnes
This article was first published in Lifestyle Block
This month, it’s time for something completely different as we step away from the ordinary and take a look at the much-maligned but eager-to-please choko. You may or may not have heard of this strange pear-shaped “is it a fruit, is it a vegetable?” Those in New Zealand’s northern climes are perhaps more likely to be familiar with this outlandish member of the Cucurbitaceae or gourd family. Maturing in late autumn to early winter, and with good storage potential, it is a handy substitute for cucumbers and zucchini in the months when these vegetables are absent. With this gap-filling potential, I believe chokos deserve a higher profile – and they may help dispel the frustration experienced when you read a recipe in the newspaper in July that calls for out of season produce. [Read more…] about Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – The Humble Choko
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Persimmons
Written by Anna-Marie Barnes
This article was first published in Lifestyle Block
10 year old espaliered Fuyu persimmon at harvest, Nelson region. Photo: A & B Phillips.
Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – Persimmons
May is the peak season for fresh persimmons in New Zealand, with supermarket shelves and market stalls now laden with this increasingly-popular fruit, which looks somewhat like a squat miniature pumpkin-tomato hybrid. As a home garden specimen tree, the persimmon offers not only a plentiful source of fruit heading in to the winter months, but also a brilliant display of colour as its foliage turns in the autumn. [Read more…] about Persimmons
Table Grapes
Written by Anna-Marie Barnes
This article was first published in Lifestyle Block
Your Backyard Fruit Bowl – Table Grapes
In a land where wine grape-producing vineyards are a dime a dozen, if you mention table grapes to the average New Zealander, their thoughts will likely settle on the large bunches of majestic-looking but rather tasteless imported fruit to be found in supermarket chillers year-round. But if we cast our memories back, many of us can probably remember a sprawling vine tucked in a corner of our grandparents’ section or running along the fence line of a childhood home. Nothing screams autumn like the musky-sweet scent of homegrown grapes, hiding in amongst their leafy surrounds and just waiting for the keen eyes of a backyard treasure-hunter.
I’ll be up-front and admit I am a huge fan of older, ‘heritage’ fruit varieties, so if you are looking for thin- skinned, largely seedless delights, avert your eyes…on the plus side, grape skins and seeds are packed with antioxidants, so no harm in chewing them up. This article is a walk through some heirloom delights, big on Wavour, character and hardiness. I believe they deserve a place in your garden and might just help Xll your fruit bowl before the cooler months hit. [Read more…] about Table Grapes
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Waikato Branch Annual Tree and Plant Sale 2021
Saturday 3 July 2021 – 8 am to 12 pm
Venue: Hamilton Gardens, Govern
To get there; Enter Gate 2 from Cobham Drive, Governor’s Green is the grass area opposite the carpark.
Everyo
Buyers – There will also be a good range of public stalls selling tree crops and plants, ornamentals, farm trees and natives, perennials, cuttings and produce.
The Waikato Branch of NZTCA will have a stand with club information and a small assortment of fruiting plants suitable for the home garden.
Sellers
- No pre-allocated sites
- Please em
ail and tell us what you will be selling waikat o@treecrops.org .nz - Sellers must be set up by 8.00 am
- Commission 10% of sales
CASH OUT service – AEGIS Private Security Ltd will be joining us this year to provide a ‘cash out’ service. Please note there is a $2 charge to withdraw cash.
Any queries, please contact: waikat
Dick Roberts Photo Competition Winners 2021
Winner: Michelle Derecourt, Canterbury
Other Finalists
Anne Dickinson, Nelson
David Wayne, Nelson
Michelle Derecourt, Canterbury
Mzia Khmaladze, Wellington-Horowhenua
Mzia Khmaladze, Wellington-Horowhenua
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