Behold a tree that is embroiled in more controversy, pawed over more regularly, and assaulted by more attention, admiration, disgust, falling maple branches, and drunken wonder than a Real Housewife of Orange County. A Garnet Beauty variety, its checkered history began when the gardener ordered it bare-root from Fedco and neglected to stake it. Because the soil on my hell strip is too light and sandy to hold its root ball in place, given its luxuriant crown, it started leaning. Then it got caught on some construction equipment belonging to my neighbors contractor, and the lean became dangerous.
Adding to the general precariousness of its anchorage is its absurd fruit production. A million absolutely delicious fruits that weight it down. The tree is the wonder of Saratoga Springs, NY, because most people dont understand that its possible to grow great peaches this far north.Peachtrees of the Fedco-recommended typewill thrive into Maine as long as they are planted in poor soil. In fact, the only reason peaches are associated with the South is the fact that they were one of the few crops that would do well in soil that had been wrecked by cotton.
The peaches ripen during tourist season in Saratoga. So wonder means a lot of casual theft by drunkards. The squirrels also are casual thieves of my peaches, leaving the nibbled pits on my porch. I dont mind. The only form of thievery that ever really disturbed me was the premeditated formpracticed by asexagenerian in a kimono, who used to arrive with a sack.
This year, however, the pilferage has been neglible because my daughters former babysitter, the lovely Etienne, is visiting from Paris. Etienne loves good food and keeps an eye on the tree. She checks the peaches several times a day and brings the ripe ones inside. On Sunday, there were so many, that I made a pie. Peach piea majorreason to have a garden. Like cherry pie and blueberry pie, peach pie is inedible when its made commercially. But when its made with fruit right off the treesublime.
After the fruit is gone, Ill get out there with a bow saw and a shovel and some stakes and see if I can restore some dignity to the trees posture. But I have to say, I love it anyway.