A Persimmon

Yes, a persimmon. Just one!

My fruit growing skills are not yet developed. Several years ago, I started planting fruit trees. I planted 9 heirloom apples from a supplier in the North Carolina mountains. Since then I have planted 3 pear trees, 4 pecans (2 died, but 1 of those sent out a new shoot from the root), 6 peaches, 4 trees that I thought were sour cherry (but probably are not according to Clarence Brown), 2 plums, and 2 apricots (both died but the roots have sent out new shoots). I think one of the apples has since died. It bloomed this year, but the leaves fell off prematurely. And then there is the single persimmon tree, that I planted this year and didn't expect anything from but ended up with a single, small persimmon.

Three of the apple trees actually produced fruit. However, I didn't harvest any. One got too heavy with fruit and a branch broke off in the wind. One (the one that lost its leaves) had fruit, but I didn't get any before it gave up the ghost. The last one actually produced nice sized fruit, but the birds and bugs got to them before I did. I'm not a successful fruit grower yet, except my small persimmon.

This reminds me of a Japanese tongue twister. Tonari no kyaku wa youku kaki kuu kyaku da. The customer next to me eats a lot of persimmons.

Of course, I thought it was ready to pick, so it now sits in the kitchen. But Kathy informed me that she had just talked to a friend today who has a large persimmon tree. Evidently, you aren't supposed to harvest persimmons until they fall from the tree. I actually had to tug pretty hard to get this one to come off. I don't think it is ripe.

One persimmon and I harvested it incorrectly!

A garden is tended by a gardener. What do you call someone who tends and orchard?