It seems like, every time we stop to smell the flowers and take stock, the new Homestead has another surprise for us. This inherited garden of ours is truly a gift that keeps on giving; obviously planned and plotted by someone who knew what they were doing.
As a bunch of folk with very little knowledge of the flower garden (on account of not being able to eat them), we are constantly amazed by the continuity of it all; Daffodils to chrysanthemums, roses to peonies, carnations, gladioli, and lots, lots more we still need to learn the names of. We seem to be always pointing out the latest “pretty plant” to each other.
The windbreak around the house has fruit trees of varying ages dotted throughout it. Back in September (when we were too busy to take a breath and a photo) the place was a riot of blossom and we speculated loud and long as to what they would offer up to us. Some were easy to work out
but others, we crane our necks and squint into the branches and still spot nothing. Other Homesteaders, it has become apparent, are a bit more onto it.
On Tuesday, the cause of the very happy but slightly queasy goats became apparent. The tree we had written off as being “too old to fruit” had suddenly become an object of intense goatie interest – and with good reason.
While it may need a pretty severe prune once the season ends, our first raid of the plum tree (that is, the bit out of the goats reach) netted enough of these bundles of deliciousness (we think they may be Burbanks) to have us reaching for the preserving pan.
Plum sauce – a Homestead delicacy. Try it on your fish and chips once and you’ll never want anything else. We promise!
Union Homestead 
Glad your new garden is yielding up such delights, the plum sauce looks delicious would that I could try it!
You’d be very welcome😊
For some reason I am being prevented from liking your post, even though I do.
How wonderful that your new place is full of so many treasures – visual and edible.
Thanks for letting us know you like it, despite the gremlins😊
It’s exciting making all these discoveries …like a treasure hunt set by the Homestead’s previous owners.
Plum sauce absolutely delicious! Wonderful that the tree surprised you. Hope the goats are feeling better.
The goats were only slightly off-colour; they’re more angry at us for stripping the tree😊
I have never tried plum sauce. It’s a thought. Your flowers look very fine.
We discovered plum sauce the year our tomato crop failed and we were given a bucket of plums. Needs must and all that. Sadly we can take no credit for the flowers…thats all down to mother nature and the previous owners
Wow, everything is looking so lush, and love the flower pics – that dahlia!. We’re knee deep in winter mud in these parts. I think you could put those goats to use in the orchard – Chaffin family orchard in California uses goats to prune their olive trees. If you google, there’s an adorable (copyrighted) picture of a goat standing on a largish branch. The trick admittedly would be to somehow have them do the pruning without eating the fruit – but still, I’m sure someone can work it out :). Those bottles of plum sauce look amazing – I make plum sauce but it’s not pourable, more like liquidy chutney (far more appetizing than that sounds!), so goes in jars. Also I cannot imagine it on fish and chips. We Canadians have embraced the American love of ketchup big time and in large quantities – no one would think of a fruit based sauce for french fries! I will have to give it a try though – we have a lot of plum sauce to use up. What else do you put yours with?
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We have a vineyard not far way from here who use a goat to prune as well. Their pinot gris is a Homestead favourite: Lone Goat.
The Farmer can be quite the photographer when he is in the mood and the dahlia appealed to him.
We also use the plum sauce on cold meat ( esp lamb), I like it with omelette and eggs…its basically runny chutney (i moulee it and push it through a sieve to stop it getting stuck in the bottle) 😊
Hi, Queasy goats – was that diagnosed because they went off their normal feed or what was happening at their rear ends?
Too much fruit…it gets to us all, goats included😚
Definitely have to have a go at making this one! Around late autumn we get very crazy squirrels who have gotten drunk on the overripe pears in our very old tree!
Unruly wildlife🤣 Beat them to it and make Perry Cider…yum!