Fifty-Plus News - Margaret Matthews

Very soon the first spring fruit blossom will be appearing in streets, parks and private gardens. This early blossom always seems to me some of the most beautiful of flowers, in part because it is often the first sign of colour after the drab months of winter.
In a somewhat contrary way, this early blossom is especially beautiful because it is so fleeting. The sharp winds that occur, often without warning, at this time of year, mean that sometimes the blossom barely has time to appear before it is blown from the tree to become a pink or white carpet on the ground.
There are many blossom trees that also produce fruit and after the fruit is harvested, the bonus of autumn leaves.
Not all gardens can accommodate many – or any – full-sized fruit trees. Some years ago, Flemings Nurseries in Monbulk introduced miniature fruit trees. The range has gradually been extended and now includes several varieties of peach, nectarine, pear, apricot, plum and prune. ‘Trixie’ trees, as these little marvels are called, have recently added another peach, ‘Pixie’ and a nectarine ‘Nectazee’ to their range. All these trees produce excellent, large, highly-coloured fruit. The trees, not the fruit, are dwarf. They grow to a height of 1.5m by 1.5m.
If these trees have any fault it may be that they set fruit too prolifically. It may be wise to thin out the numbers of fruit if you consider the tree is overcrowded.
Flemings Nurseries also produce the Ballerina apples, dwarf plants in several varieties. The species are Charlotte, Waltz, Polka, Flamenco and Bolero. Maypole is a crabapple.
All these reliable dwarf trees may be planted in the ground, or in large tubs, such as half-wine barrels. The crabapple looks particularly well when grown on a columnar frame as pictured.
These remarkable fruit trees can add another dimension to the small garden. As well as the beauty of their blossom, they produce excellent crops of fruit, not only a useful supplement to the food supply, but a source of pride in the achievement of producing an abundance of attractive and delectable fruit each season.
Cultural notes: All these small trees need temperate to cool conditions. Blossom may suffer from severe frosts. As all such trees are subject to leaf curl, spray with a Bordeaux mixture during dormancy. The trees are shallow rooted and easy to transplant. They prefer full sun and will adjust to most soils. If planting in tubs, discuss the appropriate potting mix with your local nursery. Apply an annual application of a complete fertiliser in late summer. Add sulphate of potash to increase flower and fruit yield.
Very little pruning is required. Simply remove any broken or crowded branches.
If you contact Flemings Nurseries in Monbulk, they will direct you to your nearest retail nursery who has stocks of all these trees.
Citrus trees, too, contribute not only by providing us with desirable and useful fruit, as well as being attractive at all times of the year. Lemon and lime trees, orange, mandarin and cumquat all have a place in most gardens. Lime trees need a warm position with freedom from frosts. Small species of lemon, such as the Meyer, and cumquats can be grown in large containers. Feed citrus trees in late summer and early spring with blood and bone and sulphate of potash at the recommended rate. Use a fork to penetrate the soil at the drip-line of the tree, and water well after fertilising.
Citrus trees should be planted in mid-spring. Raise the level of the soil several centimetres above the surrounding area to ensure good drainage.
Writing about fruit trees reminds me of my childhood. From the age of four to my early teenage years I lived on a tropical fruit farm in the south coast of Queensland. Mangoes, pawpaws, custard apples, bananas, grew in profusion. None of these delectable fruits can be grown here in Victoria. We took them so much for granted. At the time – from the mid- 1920s to the mid-1930s – we had not heard of the avocado, or some of the more recent exotic fruits.
My swing was attached to the branch of a mango tree, and if I swung high enough, I could pick and consume a ripe mango as the shade from the tree’s enveloping branches protected me from the heat of the day.
My later teenage years were spent in South Australia, where we had a garden filled with fruit trees of a very different kind. There were all the stone fruits, as well as quinces and figs. My father sold his almonds to a shop in Adelaide that specialised in nuts and closed only recently, after 80 years of trading.
In any area of Australia it is possible to grow fresh fruit in our gardens, although the climate dictates what varieties will succeed.
It is very convenient to drive to the local fruit shop and purchase whatever takes one’s fancy. And, of course, as we appreciate, we cannot grow everything. But think of the satisfaction of growing and harvesting fruit from one’s own trees. The pride and joy of offering a friend a peach, a pear, an apple, and being able to say, "Yes, I grew it myself. I picked it just half an hour ago.".

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