Fruits in progress....in our backyard

I am so proud of all the fruiting going on in the backyard and decided to show you why I am so happy this year!  Last year plums=0;apples=0.  This year plums=13;apples=100+;snakegourds=24+.  Well, snakegourd is technically not a sweet fruit, but it is growing for the first time ever in the garden and they're not easy to grow in our zone 4.  It's a vegetable, but a very favorite one at home.  Plum trees and apple trees are almost the same age as I recall maybe a year apart or so.  So I would say they're atleast 5yrs now, except Zestar apple tree which was planted about 3yrs back.  They're all either dwarf or semi dwarf trees. 

Tiny fruit formations create a lot of excitement :)  We are now at harvest time - almost.  Plums are already harvested, save for two still on the tree, apples from 1st tree starting falling every now and then, snakegourds already eaten 3....(who's counting? :) 

Oh! Don't be surprised by all the Ziploc bags on the apples, I use them to cover apples when they are dime sized and this is to prevent bugs in them.  This is the second time I have tried it and must say it worked great the first year.  Takes a lot of baggies, and a lot of those are a waste when the tree sheds the apples, but the ones that were covered until harvest were clean and free of bugs!  I have never sprayed my trees, so this is my organic way of growing apples!!   I have not tried this on plum trees and there are worms in them here and there, we just cut off the wormy side and eat the rest.  They're super sweet except for the peel which is a bit sour.

Plums

Some more 'Alderman' plums from the same tree

 

Honeycrisp apple tree on 8/15

 

Zestar apple tree on 8/15

 

Sweet 16 apple tree

Snakegourd vine

 

More snakegourds!

 

They're really loaded !!

 

A huge Zestar! apple in my kid's hand

 

A huge heirloom Brandywine... fills my hand!

 

Finally a view of my Garden#1 from the deck