We've lived in Elk Grove for almost 20 years. The previous owner of the house was a seed merchant and ran his company out of our home. When we moved in, rose bushes and jasmine adorned our landscape as well as a white peach tree. The previous owner would give peaches to friends and neighbors. We enjoyed them for a few years until the tree died; we promptly replaced it to continue the tradition. It took a few years for the tree to bear fruit again, but then it produced a bumper crop!
Every spring, I say a prayer over our tree, asking for it to remain healthy and bear fruit. The tree is part of the memories our family makes and a source of fruit to share with friends. The squirrels also have their own peach party with the fruit that falls onto the grass. We enjoy watching them run off with the treasured fruit. We find pits or whole peaches in odd places around our property, even on top of our wooden fence. Even though these trees usually skip a year, ours doesn't. We continue to get a bumper crop of sweet, white peaches. If you've never tried this variety, please seek it out. Low acidity and crazy sweet--I don't need to add additional sugar to peach pie! I've made peach cobbler and even peach jam. Enjoying the fresh fruit is wonderful. The juice literally runs down your arm.
We've made a tradition of pulling out the ladder and having a peach-picking party with the kids. We bag up peaches and give them to coworkers, friends, and neighbors to enjoy. Then I process enough to freeze four bags of peaches so we can enjoy our tree's essence all year. Choosing to make this tree a family tradition has been fruitful for our family in many ways. Who knew a tree could bring families, friends, and neighbors closer together in such a sweet way?
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