A
fter my lateex-mother-
in-law turned75,she
never planted anything
she thought she might not live
to see grow up. Since she lived
well into her nineties, she may
have deprived herself of quite
a few trees, but since she had
a splendid two-acre garden, it
probably didn’t matter.
I’m feeling a bit the same way
about nut trees. I want to plant
at least one, but what if I don’t
have enough teeth left to eat
the nuts by the time the trees
produce? Obviously, I’ll have to
be discerning about which onesI plant.I’maftera smallquick
producerthat’sattractiveand
will do well in our environment.
Fortunately, a lot of different
nut trees will grow in New
Zealand and, with the exception
of peanuts, I like all of them.
I’d have considered a pine nut,
driven by the heart-stopping
price tag a minuscule packet of
nuts carries in the supermarket,
but it grows 15-20m, which will
not endear it to me or the
Partner. Furthermore, it doesn’t
like wet soil, which is an issue
on a property surrounded by
a stream in a location whereGO
It maylooklikea bonsai
atthisage,butyourpecan
cangrowupto 20 metres
wideandmightlivefor
hundredsofyears.LeeAnnBramwell
GARDENEDITORweeklyGARDEN
If you have partners,
kids or friends who raid
your nut supply on a
regular basis, you’ll
realise the value of
growingyour own. Store-
bought nuts are pricey (well,
the ones you really want to eat
are),soplantinga coupleofnut
treesmightbetheanswer.A kernel of truth!
56 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly