A WET summer means a fruitful autumn.
At least, assuming the rain stops for long enough to let the sun ripen the fruit, not normally an issue in this neck of the woods but this year your guess is as good as mine.
You can grow lots of different fruit-bearing trees and vines in the garden without going all out and installing a full-on orchard.
A grapevine is among the best and easiest.
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We have two, a black muscat vine that round the verandah eaves runs, and a crunchy white, which I've never managed to identify, on a pergola in the garden.
Both are going strong after more than 30 years.
A mega problem with a grape crop is bird attack.
I still remember our Greek neighbour in Sydney tying a little drawstring muslin bag over each bunch when his grapes began to ripen.
I never got around to making several dozen little drawstring muslin bags, why are you not surprised, but time has come to my rescue and they're now readily available commercially for a modest sum.
Our Greek neighbour also grew figs (Ficus carica).
Bill once binged on figs and now won't touch them, which is fine with me as I love figs.
Our tree was a sucker from a friend's tree with unusually large leaves; it too suckers, so I keep it trimmed as I prefer one tree to a thicket.
If you've noticed that your fig never flowers, it's because of its unusual reproductive behaviour - the tiny little flowers are inside the immature fruit.
Although sub-tropical, figs thrive in highland and inland NSW but need frost protection when young.
They crop twice a year.
The first crop forms on the previous year's wood and matures in December and January.
The main crop sets on new wood in November and matures between now and June, depending on your location: mine are still green, but there's lots of them.
There are also lots of quinces on my Chinese quince (Cydonia sinensis).
They are smooth and oval shaped, unlike the knobbly, rounder, slightly larger true quince, C. oblonga.
Nothing beats the colour, aromatic flavour and grainy texture of stewed quince, but it's a devil to cook, hard to slice and taking hours to turn from off white to heavenly deep pink and requiring constant attention lest it burn.
It was a great day for me when I realised I could put my casserole in the oven, set the timer to four hours and go back into the garden.
Why did it take me so long?
Medlars (Mespilus germanica) are another easy crop for highland and inland gardeners, as the fruit is best when softened by frost and made into delectable jelly.
Medlars are attractive small trees, growing slowly to about eight metres tall, with a rounded canopy, large, pinkish white spring flowers and leathery leaves that turn rich chestnut brown in autumn.
The cultivar 'Nottingham' has slightly larger fruit.
Loquats, pomegranates, feijoas - there are many more lovely fruit trees for country gardeners.
I'm out of space: they'll have to wait another day.
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