Get a load of this! For the first time, baby figs are growing. This is a tribute to the tough nature of this 'Hardy Chicago' (Ficus carica) that's been abused in my garden for the last couple of years. It was but a few inches tall when it arrived from an online nursery, and I planted it in a terrible spot. Yes, it was sunny, but it was soon dwarfed by the perennials all around it. Still, it lived.
I transplanted it last year to a spot against a wall that gets morning and afternoon sun. It continued to live but quality of life was minimal. This year, as you can see, it's taken off and is producing tiny figlets, at last.
This variety supposedly does well in extreme heat in early summer. How about extreme heat in spring, which we've just had? Perhaps the cool air this week will help. Meanwhile, I daydream about the figs to come ... mottled black and purple skin, strawberry-red pulp inside, sweet, juicy, like the ones we plucked right off a tree in Tuscany. Forget the romance. I could go for a bucket of fig gelato. None better.
