This email came in from Maggie and Nancy, one of our first clients out in Bahama.  People often ask us how long things take to fruit.  BB views it as an infrastructural investment, the same that you would make for removing mold or draining water away from your house, or fixing a bathroom; except the rewards are a lot more tangible, and beautiful!

Keith,

As of just this afternoon, the Ark report (Bahama) is as follows:

Bountiful blossoms and fruiting has begun! for these trees/bushes planted spring 2007, at least 15 busy bees humming around the first fruiting blossoms ever for the giant Goumi berry!  there will be 100s and 100s of fruit if all goes well... maybe easily 1000!! no joke! the cherry bush fruiting plentifully underway, was the first to blossom this year. the josta berries are blossoming for the very first time since planting.... our service berry is blossoming more than ever before! last yr lower branches only. apple and peach trees right on target. 3 grape varieties leafing forward... one fruited last yr.  blueberries also fruiting forward despite their newbie status.... goji berries as usual, tending to their greening up, they fruited last fall....just before freezes...!!!! is that due to their Himalaya character??!! figs, persimmon, jujubees, paw paws, and plum tree are all working on their greening up... hopefully some real production will be upcoming. (sorry figs, you did very well last year !!)

After our first endeavor to harvest all 12 months... we are overflowing in full sized spinach, lettuce varieties soon to bolt !!, cilantro, parsley, feverfew, chives, tarragon, onions, beet greens and swiss chard...leeks in the tummy and the freezer, turnip greens enjoyed for months on end...and bountiful cover crops neighboring with tired and bolting collards and kale. luckily we planted starts for the kale ...so continued production as hoped for. not successful: cabbage and brussel sprouts. Welcome back to comfrey + babies everywhere!, to rhubarb, and borage in flower!! and some herbs we forgot their names.. but they didn't die off... so help keith!! not to be forgotten the many perennial friends as well...including boisterous batchelor buttons that never died off despite a harsh winter, so they are already in bloom !!

Therefore: this is an unsollicited, loving thank you to Bountiful Backyards whose creation of this fruiting and veggie-ing landscape is now truly "bearing fruit"....in this our third spring. we also appreciated the pruning lessons, advice and answers never given grudgingly or late...and every email always answered!

maggie and nancy