Solitary plum brings hope of future cobblers

link Betty Williamson

Local columnist

I have been keeping close tabs these past few weeks on one slightly battered, still-green plum which is—believe it or not—my entire 2014 fruit crop.

Over and above being the lone survivor of a harsh mid-May frost, this plum is significant because it will be the first official harvest from a scraggly row of baby plum bushes which were transplanted to my garden early last year. They were moved from a hearty thicket lovingly tended until his death by my friend Louise’s father.

After her father died and before his home was sold, Louise and I spent a morning unearthing some promising young sprouts to be moved to our respective gardens.

The towering parent bushes of our 24-inch-tall fledglings provided some of the best plums I have ever eaten. Special occasions at our house warrant a warm cobbler filled with the jewel-toned goodness of these remarkable plums. Should we ever be forced to evacuate, the remaining packets in my freezer top the list of items to be saved.

Louise’s garden is better sheltered than mine; she has enough plums this year to require multiple fingers for a count.

Odds are a mockingbird will beat me to my harvest, but this first solitary plum, even untasted, continues a legacy and carries a promise of cobblers and jams yet to come.

Betty Williamson knows it is wrong to brag, but she did harvest three apricots last year. You may reach her at [email protected].