The garden has its own calendar—you just have to slow down and notice what’s showing up- The Grey Haired Gardener
Have you ever walked through a market and suddenly realized, “Well, somebody’s fruit tree is certainly having a good year!” 😂
That happened to me recently.
I was walking through the market, looking at the produce, and I started noticing something I always find interesting—what’s in season tells a story.
You don't necessarily need a calendar hanging on the wall to tell you what time of year it is. Sometimes all you have to do is look at what's piled up on the market stalls.
And, of course, I couldn't help comparing what I was seeing with what is happening in my own garden.
Chenette season has arrived!
One of the fruits that caught my eye was Melicoccus bijugatus ... yep , you read that right, aka chenette.😄
Funny enough, I didn't actually need to buy any. My friend, J, dropped some off for me last week. So when I saw them at the market, I had to smile.
There they were again—confirmation that chenette season had arrived!
And isn't that one of the pleasures of living here? Somebody's tree is producing more than they can eat, so a bag of fruit finds its way to a friend, a neighbour or family member.
No fancy packaging. No delivery charge.
Just, “Here, take some.”
And I'm certainly not complaining. 😂
And then I spotted the rambutan...
There was rambutan at the market too, and naturally, that caught my attention.
I've had a bit of a history with rambutan.
I planted some seeds years ago and waited.
And waited....and waited.
Eventually, after about eight years, the tree finally flowered.
You would think that after eight years I would have been rewarded with a nice crop of rambutan, wouldn't you?
Well... apparently the tree had other plans.
It flowered, but the tree turned out to be male.
Yes. Male.
After eight years!
Gardening really does teach you patience—and occasionally a few new words that probably shouldn't appear in a gardening blog. 😂
But I wasn't giving up that easily. I planted five more rambutan seedlings, so I'm still waiting to see what the next chapter of that story will bring.
Seeing rambutan at the market reminded me that fruit trees are definitely a long game.
Sometimes you plant today for a harvest that belongs to a future version of yourself.
And sometimes that future version of yourself has to deal with a male rambutan tree.
But that's gardening!
What else is showing up?
As I walked around the market, I saw several other fruits and produce that made me stop and take notice.
It reminded me that seasonality in the Caribbean isn't always as neat as the charts make it seem.
We have our general seasons, of course, but weather, rainfall, location, the variety of the plant and even the individual tree can all make a difference.
One person's mango tree may be loaded while another person's is still sitting there looking at you as if it has absolutely no intention of producing anything this year.
And if you've been gardening for a while, you know exactly what I mean. 😂
That's one of the things I enjoy about markets. They give us a little snapshot of what is happening across people's gardens, backyards and farms.
And then there's my garden...
Of course, I couldn't walk through the market without thinking about my own plants.
I have a young peewah plant that is about two years old. It's nowhere near ready to join the market crowd yet, but seeing peewah being sold reminded me that, with fruit trees, patience really is part of the deal.
Two years can feel like a long time when you're waiting for a fruit tree to do something.
Then again, I have learned that plants have absolutely no interest in our schedules.
They grow when they're ready.
My carambola, on the other hand, is currently doing its bit to keep me supplied. And that's another lovely thing about growing some of your own food—you get to experience the seasons from your own backyard.
Then the tiny fruits.
Then you check them every few days.
And eventually you find yourself saying, “Okay, I think these are ready now!”
And sometimes you discover that the birds have already made that decision for you. 😂
What's in season in your garden?
I think that's why I enjoy asking gardeners what is bearing at different times of the year.
The answer isn't always the same.
One garden may have mangoes.
Another may have chenette.
Someone else might have rambutan, carambola, sapodilla, avocado, pommecythere or something I've never even thought about.
And that's the beauty of gardening in the Caribbean. There is always something coming into flower, forming fruit, ripening—or stubbornly refusing to do any of the above until it feels like it. 😂
So the next time you're at the market, take a little look around.
Don't just think about what you're going to buy.
Notice what's there.
It might give you a pretty good idea of what's happening in gardens around you.
And if you grow your own food, pay attention to your own garden too. Your plants have their own seasonal stories to tell.
Now I want to hear from you!
What's bearing in your garden or yard right now?
Are you harvesting something you've been waiting months for? Is your fruit tree suddenly giving you more than you know what to do with? Or perhaps you're still waiting patiently for that young tree to grow up and earn its keep. 😉
Tell me what's in season where you are—and send me a photo if you can!
I'd love to see what's growing in your corner of the Caribbean.
Until next time, keep an eye on what's flowering, fruiting and ripening around you.
Keep growing—your garden (and your confidence) will follow.
Grey hair, green thumb and proud of my roots.
thegreyhairedgardener.blogspot.com
My dragonfruit plants are fruiting now - an unknown red, an unknown spined yellow ( grown from seed planted in Sept 2021, 3rd year bearing ), a Paloma yellow, an Aussie Gold (first bearing) a Yellow Thai ( first bearing,) and a Bruni. A wide variety of dragonfruit flavors to savour!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful collection you have fruiting, Joanz! Each variety brings its own unique flavour and story, and it’s inspiring to see how your patience with the seedlings has paid off. Enjoy savouring the differences — that’s the true joy of dragon fruit season.
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