Samarkand Gold Nectarine

 This is a recent introduction by the Hybridizers Group of SCV chapter of CRFG. This is an excellent yellow nectarine. Very sweet and juicy; ripening in early to mid-July in Sacramento Valley.  The grafting wood is available from the Santa Clara Chapter Hybridizers, and the fruits are available (when in season) from Andy's Orchard fruit stand in Morgan Hill.

A Creme Brûlée Flavored Persian Melon

 A friend gifted me this melon which is new to me. This is an Iranian melon with a very pronounced creme brûlée flavor. There are slight vanilla and basil notes too. I grew up in Central Asia where many different melons were available, but I do not remember any which would be similar to this one. This Persian melon has a very unique sweet flavor and crunchy texture. My son describes the flavor as chocolate covered marshmallow. 

Early July blueberries

My Southmoon is the star producer now. We like this cultivar a lot. I just picked a very good amount of blueberries from my single plant that I have in a large pot.

Next to the Southmoon plant I have a Pink Lemonade blueberry in a similar pot, but Pink Lemonade produces significantly less. I am not sure it is worth growing in my conditions. In the picture below is a comparison of a harvest on the same day. I do not see many berries forming on Pink Lemonade either.

I have two more cultivars that just started to produce this year. These are still small plants, but I can already see that their berries are very different. Climax (left) and Krewer (right) are shown in the picture below. Krewer fruits are very large, probably the largest blueberry fruits I have ever had.

All of these taste different, with Southmoon being the most complex. We enjoy it a lot. Pink Lemonade is the most sweet with a very low acid content.