This year is a BUMPER crop!
As children there was a chickoo tree planted in the back of the property by my grand father. He was a great gardener as the garden boasted of every conceivable fruit tree our hearts desired. After Dad took over the house, he rented it to a jockey family, as we lived in New Delhi, since Dad was posted there as an aeronautical engineer. The woman of the house ran a dairy farm in the back of the property, making lakhs of rupees selling the milk to all the big hotels in the city. However the potent urine of the cows disturbed the fruit trees and the chickoo tree in particular stopped fruiting.
Our 25 graft chickoo trees in Hoskote.
Then Dad was able to get them out of our home - ofcourse they did not want to leave since they were enjoying such a huge property for little or no 'çaretaker' rent. Finally with the help of lawyer Rego and several desperate appeals as a serving officer to New -Delhi, Dad got our home back and we moved back in. As usual they were powerful people so kept us hanging, but finally truth won in the end, but it was a tough fight for Dad.
A one year old graft is already fruiting!
So, to go back to the chickoo tree that stopped fruiting in the garden -- my mother began a preschool in a building erected at the back of the house. The chickoo tree was saved and it stood there alongside the sandpit which my mother had made for the babies to play in. The babies played near it shouting and screaming aound the tree and the next thing we knew -- the barren tree was loaded with fruit! Dads stand about the trees being happy --seemed to come true. Even though we scoffed at his reason as kids.
The FIFTH picking this year from Hoskote!
Then came our farm our beautiful Bella Vista and I listened to Dad and bought ONLY grafts from Lalbagh of the cricket ball and oval varieties. We planted them and they grew over the years giving us just one or two maximum pickings. THEN we began our Sustainable Living classes for many schools for free in the farm 2 years ago. That brought in hundreds of kids who had never seen chickoos growing on trees. They screamed and played games around them and to my great surprise Dads words have come true in our farm-- the trees are happy with the sounds of kids around them. The branches are groaning with the weight of the fruit on every single tree!
Girls from Dream Foundation
Dads words are vindicated. Yes truly the trees are happy with the kids around. The apples are fruiting, the star fruit are bigger, the tamarind had a huge crop, the Bangkok tamarind fruited and yes! they are sweet, the avocados are fruiting and the seetaphal and Ramphal too. Never mind the rash of jackfruit and the amlas both the native and domesticated. The star gooseberries and our mangoes - what Mallikas and Raspuris we get-- I feel sad Dad and Mum cant enjoy them.
The farm is happy and thrilled the kids have come and for the FIRST year I am selling my fruit on whatssapp and they are flying off to excited buyers via Dunzo. Thanks Dad and Mum. There is so much in my life I know thanks to the both of you. I wake every single day saying thank you for your inheritance which has changed my life.
Girls playing inbetween the chickoo trees.
