We planted our mulberry tree not long after we moved into our home, seven years ago. It was planted during a lengthy and severe drought, and survived with minimal attention.

Mulberry tree a month or two after being planted in 2016 (It even has a few berries!)

With the end of the drought we experience a couple of much welcome wet years, not so welcome when it come to fruit crops, given the high humidity bringing on brown rot – so frustrating!

While this year has been, what you would call, a little more “normal”, mother nature has still thrown us some curve balls!  Several weeks ago, we had much yearned for warm weather,  but it come with horrendous gale force winds. Bush fires errupted just 20-30km to the north east of where we live, and continued to burn out of control for a few weeks, before being listed as ‘contained’.  We witnessed convoys of CFA (Country Fire Authority) units from around the state as they traveled past our home to join the battle, and relieve the local crews. Continue reading →