Prompt: Pleasant Photography
A Fig Tree Grows on Staten Island
Symbolizing my grandson’s love
Figs have always been one of my favorite foods.
They bring back childhood memories of dried figs present at every holiday table. Over the years I have relished their sweet taste, but the experience of later tasting a freshly picked fig amazed me.
Learning of a hardy variety that could endure New York winters caused me to dream of having one in my yard. Yet my current physical limitations stopped me, having the inability to clear the space to do the planting.
My teenaged grandson, however, decided to make my dream a reality.
I ordered that fig tree, and he did all the rest.
The area with a lot of sun where I wanted it was the spot where a removed old diseased tree had stood, but where the soil now tended to sink with the rain. So his first task was to add dirt and firm up the land.
Next, he built the enclosed above ground planter, laying a foundation of stone to secure it while ensuring the roots cannot grow out to lift my patio bricks.
By using an enclosure the fig tree would not reach 6 to 8 feet, but rather grow 3 to 4 feet, a more manageable height for me to pick all the anticipated figs.
To finish the planting he carried bags of soil to fill the planter, leaving a hole in its center for when the new tree arrived when I could have the pleasure of putting it into place.
Health Benefits of Figs
I knew how good they tasted, but was thrilled to discover their health benefits.
“With their rich history dating back 6000 years, figs are one of the oldest known plants to mankind and are a classical fruit in the Mediterranean diet. They possess a diverse array of bioactive components, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, and tocopherols, which have been used for centuries in traditional medicine for their health-promoting effects addressing gastrointestinal, respiratory, inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiovascular issues.”
~ National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10255635/
WebMD breaks down the health benefits of figs to include reducing high blood pressure, improving digestion, and increasing bone density.
“One major benefit of figs is that they are a naturally fat-free, cholesterol-free food.
They are also an excellent source of:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron
Potassium
Magnesium”
~ WebMD https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-figs
As you can see in the photo my fig tree is growing nicely with the expectation of healthful fresh figs next season.
But what I will always see as I look at it is my grandson’s love growing along with it, the sweetest thing of all!
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