Apples in the land of the rising sun

It was another warm day in a winter feeling like the balmy Carolinas.  The black currants show signs of buds wanting to stretch in the sun. Crocus, snowdrops and green grass were not really the things I needed to see, to know the fruit plants will awake this year very early on the calendar.  This sets up a greater potential for a possible hard frost during bloom time.  We do have a few tricks up our sleeves, but the risk is real especially for certain types.  I find myself wanting to think we’ll just have a really long intense season to produce amazing fruit.

The high tunnel for raspberries is slowly being assembled, we’ll post some photos soon.

The signs of spring made me view again one of my favorite photo collections by an artist Jane Alden Stevens.  The pictures speak for themselves.  Humbling.   Check them out at Fraction Magazine!  The apples sell for $5.00 or more a piece in Tokyo and other cities.