POTTED MEMORIES

                                                             Fall day at the lake

The date palm has been in this pot for over 5 years. We named him Walter Rose.  Before the transplant, WR was just a sprout growing next to his 20+ feet family. SIL rescued him in 1994, after the sale of the family farm.  He kept it in a bucket on his side yard, kept it watered and always wondered why it never would grow. Not one to throw away any plant struggling to stay alive, my SIL never gave up on Walter. Before the sale of his home, he transplanted him into this pot. Seems that was what it needed!  He gave it to me after the sale of his home.
 The first date palms planted on the Farm was in 1919. There were about 8 palms lined in front of the orchard, in front of the family home. Spending a lot my childhood on the farm, date season was the favorite time of the year. First date picking/eating was September. As long as there were dates on the tree and the birds were kept at bay, we were all in date heaven!  When the trees were to tall to climb, we would line the ground with old irrigation tarps, shake the trees until all the ripe ones would fall. We always saved just enough for Grandmother to make date desserts.  Now I pay $9.99 per lb. at our local health food store...missing the old days.....