Zoë Scholtz

Times are tough, global economies are struggling, unemployment levels are high and most of us are battling to make ends meet. Yet, in the midst of all of this, hubby and I found ourselves in the somewhat bizarre situation where our homemade apricot jam and peach chutney were in high demand. In fact, we couldn’t produce stock fast enough to keep up with the orders. Weird? You bet. Hard work? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Yes. (Although it's probably safer to ask this question once we’ve had a few months to recover.) To rewind a little, some six years ago “we” (meaning the hubby) decided it would be a super idea to plant some fruit trees in our backyard. With somewhat limited space in our garden, we settled on a tiny peach tree and an even smaller apricot tree. In 2020 both these trees made their presence felt [you can read more about that insanity here: The Fruit Situation ]. In a valiant attempt to avoid a repeat performance of 2020 we planned ahead in 2021. One thing led ...

Five years ago, ‘Let’s plant some fruit trees’, sounded like a good idea. Gerhard and I paid a visit to our local nursery and selected a few (small) plants. We were soon the proud parents of a miniature orchard comprising a variety of plants, including one tiny peach tree and an even smaller apricot tree. The trees grew (as plants do), and their branches currently reach well beyond the roof of our home. The year 2020 can be described as one fraught with challenges, weird occurrences, and some surprising adventures. Our fruit trees clearly wanted a piece of the 2020 action and decided to pick this particular year to flourish. Early in September numerous pretty pink flowers signaled the onset of spring and promised fruit in the not too distant future. I didn't pay too much attention at the time - I had other things on my mind, not least of which was my very long 'to do' list as a result of the pending release of my book. Towards the end of November, Gerhard remarked 'The ...