Friday, September 10, 2010

Plotting a Harvest...?

The other day while taking a walk in the neighborhood I saw this:


And this:


These lovelies are growing in a fenced-in street "garden" in the front setback of a building supply storage yard. This one faces the major street and has a 6 foot iron fence around it. The "garden" on the minor street around the corner has a 4 foot fence. These planted areas are tended to once, maybe twice, a year and otherwise totally neglected.

If you haven't a clue why I'm excited by these cacti it's because in about a week the tunas (prickly pears) will be about ready for picking. I LOVE these fruits, they are juicy and flavorful and... YUMMAY. I got hooked on these the summer I stayed with relatives in Mexico where you can find them being sold all over the place. They aren't necessarily difficult to find stateside, but I don't often find the red ones.... Or free ones...

I am coveting them at this moment. I am tempted to just go by when they're ready withe gloves and a basket, but it seems wrong... Even if the owners/managers of the property don't care enough to tend these guys I should probably go in and ask... Uhg, I hear they aren't very friendly at this particular supplier... :/

2 comments:

  1. Good luck! Let us know what you decide to do and how it all turns out...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll never forget the first and last time I picked up one of these at the grocery store. Since then I can't go near one with a pair of long tongs.

    You've got quite the dilemma here. Just to avoid any guilt, I say to go ahead and ask first. If they say no, go around back and take a sample.

    ReplyDelete

Mary's Gardening Calendar