#Garden Orchard

[askwhatsforlunch]

Quince Poached Pears

The ceaseless rain and strong winds of the past week means I’m am picking up heaps of fallen fruit in the garden. Some of the pears are just ripe, some are not even there yet, but if they’ve been bruised when they fell, one has to cook them rather quickly if one wants to eat them! These beautifully glazed Quince Poached Pears makes both an excellent dessert --the addition of ice cream can make it even more indulgent!-- or snack, or a side for your cheese board, especially if you have good blue cheeses, like Fourme d’Ambert or Stilton! Happy Saturday!

Ingredients (serves 2):

3 medium to large just ripe Williams Pears

1 cup Ginger and Lemon Quince Syrup

Thoroughly rinse Williams Pears under cold water.

Halve, core and peel pears, and place pear halves in a medium saucepan. Cover with Ginger and Lemon Quince Syrup, so all pear halves are submerged.

Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Boil rapidly, for about 5 minutes; then, reduce heat to medium.

Simmer, for 15 to 20 minutes, occasionally flipping pear halves on their other side, until they are just tender, and Syrup has reduced slightly, glazing the pears beautifully.

Serve Quince Poached Pears with their Syrup warm, with a scoop or two of Ginger Ice Cream, onto thick yoghurt, or cooled, with good blue cheese...

[lovehina019]

[leebrontide]

Apparently if you have 5 or more fruit trees you officially have an orchard.

I haven't got a single piece of fruit from this yard yet but from now on I will be referring to my back yard as "the orchard". Going to go have some tea in the orchard. Need to go rake the orchard. You get the idea.

[onenicebugperday]

@emordnilap-fr submitted: went on a walk recently, thought you may like some of these guys :]

unidentified caterpillar making the :3 face! i tried looking but couldn't ID it; location is southeast louisiana if you have any ideas

a couple varying orb weavers: orchard orb weaver, yellow garden spider, and spiny orb weaver!

and golden orb weavers!! you can see the gold silk, the one on the right was fixing her web and eating(?) the damaged threads!

That caterpillar is absolutely precious. It's one of the emperor butterflies - they have cute lil horns. In your area either a hackberry emperor or a tawny emperor.

VERY nice collection of spiders. The southeast is very lucky to have such a huge range of cool spider species. Please blow them all a kiss from me.

[7mk]

cherry thief

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - August 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. Zoo hails birth of 'one of world's rarest animals'

“[Jasper] the Persian onager was born to mum Azita after a year-long pregnancy. […] Conservationists at the zoo said there are less than 600 surviving wild onagers[, … which] only survive in two small, protected areas in Iran, a Chester Zoo spokesman said. […] Mike Jordan, animal and plant director at Chester Zoo, […] said Jasper is "doing very well" and added that "mum Azita is doing a fantastic job of nurturing and bonding with her new charge". "He’s full of energy and enjoys playfully kicking up sand as he races around his habitat", Mr Jordan added.”

2. Charity creates 50 community orchards in city

“Community orchards are returning to Birmingham, with the aim of teaching people how to grow their own food and be part of the solution to climate change. […] Once established, the long-term aim is to distribute the produce to those most in need, but local people are also invited to pick the odd bit of fruit. […] By planting trees and plants and encouraging biodiversity back to these areas the charity is also doing its bit to help climate change. They even use locally sourced wood chip which helps to put carbon back into the soil. […T]he hope is that these edible landscapes can also be enjoyed by local people for years to come.”

3. Farmer-led badger vaccination could revolutionize mission to tackle bovine TB

“[… T]he results of a four-year pilot badger vaccination program co-managed between farmers, scientists, and conservationists […] show the percentage of badgers testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the study area dropped from 16% to 0%[….] While most bTB incidents in cattle are caused by transmission between herds, transmission from wild badgers plays a role in the persistence of the disease. […] Blood sampling showed that the proportion of badgers with bTB fell even though overall badger numbers remained high[….]”

4. Every Colorado Anti-Trans Ballot Initiative Fails To Collect Enough Signatures

“Anti-transgender politics are becoming increasingly unpopular in polls. […] A recent LA Times/NORC poll found that 77% of voters believe elected officials use transgender debates to divert attention from more pressing issues. The poll also showed significant opposition to forced outing policies. […] A Gallup poll published in June revealed that while Americans have mixed views on the morality of transitioning, the majority oppose bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth. […] “The fact that they could not get enough signatures, barely half, to be placed on the ballot shows they lack support from everyday voters.”

5. In a fight to save a rare bird, Indigenous communities in Guyana are winning

“The partnership [between Indigenous communities and Smithsonian researchers] sparked a decades-long community-led conservation movement that has protected the red siskin and helped locals reconnect with nature. [… T]he South Rupununi Conservation Society […] established one of the country’s first conservation zones to protect the species, covering 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) of Indigenous land. […] To plant the seeds of conservation, they’ve implemented an after-school program in more than 16 communities, [introducing children] to ecological research and surveying, and also [teaching] about Indigenous culture and tradition, including fire management skills.”

6. North Adams hospital gets federal designation which pays for health care in rural areas

“[The hospital] received a federal designation on Wednesday that is key to its long-term financial stability. […] The designation pays for staffing regardless of the number of patients[… and] “works to resolve stark inequities in rural and underserved communities as it relates to our nation’s health system."”

7. Andrea Vidaurre: Leading the clean transportation revolution

“Thanks to Vidaurre’s relentless advocacy and strong community support, these regulations introduced the first national standards for train emissions and set a groundbreaking goal for all freight trucks to be zero-emission by 2036. This initiative promises cleaner air for Californians and paves the way for a zero-emission vehicle future across the country. Studies predict these measures will prevent thousands of respiratory illnesses and save countless lives in the coming decades.”

8. Boston announces a new climate resilience office

“Through its Climate Ready Boston initiative, the city has worked to […] design creative adaptation plans with community input[, …] includ[ing] everything from redesigning waterfront parks and planting more trees, to modernizing the city’s underground sewer system[….] The Office of Climate Resilience will be in charge of coordinating work across city departments and with community groups[….]”

9. Combining Green Thumbs and Sustainable Fashion in a Swap Event

“This unique plant and clothing swap event in NSW is championing both environmental and fashion sustainability through native plants and preloved clothing. […] To participate in the plant swap, attendees brought their environmental weeds in a bag to the Council stall and exchanged them for free native plants. […] The event sparked valuable community conversations about the benefits of plant and clothes swaps, the impact of textile waste[, …] support a circular economy and combine a love for nature with practical, eco-friendly practices.”

10. Growing Green Spaces to Protect the Endangered Regent Parrot

“On Schools Tree Day, celebrated on 26 July, students from a local NSW school planted trees and shrubs to create crucial forage habitat for the endangered Regent Parrot, enhancing local biodiversity. […] Approximately 50 [… plants of] native species were chosen for their ecological benefits, helping to attract native birds, bees and butterflies while providing essential habitat and food. […] They [also] raise awareness about the regent parrot, encourage conservation efforts and emphasise the importance of protecting local wildlife. Additionally, conserving [the regent parrot] supports the health of their ecosystem by helping with in [sic] seed dispersal and maintaining plant diversity.”

July 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[autumncottageattic]

sushavedesign

[picknmixsims]

Easy Mini Orchard Trees

No Maintenance Orchard Trees

All three orchard trees miniaturised and made buyable from Build Mode/Garden Centre/Gardening. Trees do not need tending in any way. They can only be placed directly on the ground, either outside or in a greenhouse, and cost $750 each.

Their life-stage, quality and type are set from menu options. There is a $50 cost for making them harvestable, after which a Sim can be directed to pick or sell the produce.

If used with my Vegetable Plant Pots mod, an additional menu option will appear to add a fruit tree to the pot.

[gardenandcountry]

Rural landscape, artwork by Claudine Lecoustre ©️2024.

[nordsea-horizons]

goldie🪴

[ahedderick]

Man, it's 20° here this morning (that's -7C). I feel like the biggest problem local farmers/orchardists/gardeners are going to have now and going forward is that warm temps occur earlier in spring and later in fall - but cold temps occur in the exact same range they always did. That is: we'll see warm temps in March instead of April, but it will continue to occasionally drop below freezing well into May as it always has. I don't see how blossoming fruit trees and bushes will ever be able to cope with that.

[samirafee]

#BÄRLI & CATS🐈WE ARE ALL OUT & ABOUT TO HELP MOM WITH THE RASPBERRIES🔺🍃🩸🫙🍷

@samirafee

[a-daisy-in-the-dark]

an orange blossom update 🍊

[ladysnowangel]

Tiny Peach Trees

[veronicaleafless]

~ the morning hike to the apple orchards turned out to be very successful) it turned out delicious jam and now I plan to bake charlotte🥮 ~

[notasapleasure]

there's a cow in my garden :|