Olive pollen and other notes

Olives produce a considerable amount of pollen as you can see here collecting on one of our solar panels.

When olives flower and  are pollinated the flowers drop to the ground leaving the tiny olive fruit behind. Those flowers that are not pollinated are left behind on the tree and burnt by the heat of the sun.

Ci siamo

At last the rains have subsided and we have bountiful sunshine which in turn means the olives are flowering. The flower buds have turned from a mid green colour to a yellowy green and are now opening.

The trees produce a significant amount of the flower and so the pollen coats everything in a fine yellow dust.

Now we wait to see how much fruit sets and then a longer wait until the harvest which is normally in late October early November.

Business idea No 4597

Hey, how about hand made soap. Everyone needs soap and everyone loves something that is hand crafted and not mass produced.

So how about soap made from donkey's milk as I saw recently on a market stall. I think not quite frankly. Not sure why just no, no, no.

Probably will be voted product of the year..........um no.

Summer has finally arrived

Summer has finally arrived here in Umbria. Hurrah.

Barmy not balmy

Ah the lovely early summer skies in Umbria. Not. It is wetter that a Scottish pop band. Basta I say. Roll on the real summer and pronto. Everything is desperate for some warmth.

Oh what lovely onions you have.

The orto is looking very good this year with a great crop of onions, garlic, radish, broad beans, rocket, strawberries currently being enjoyed and so much more yet to come. Picking your own vegetables is much more rewarding than shopping in a supermarket

Tenderhooks

Every olive tree this year seems to absolutely laden with flower boding well for the harvest. However the weather continues to be very wet and very cool (17°c) for the time of the year. The temperature should be comfortably in the middle 20's °c and with very little rain. Hopefully the weather will turn..............