We are hurtling towards June and have already seen our first fireflies here in the hills above Florence. The roses are out and the air is fragrant with their perfume.
We have experienced unseasonably warm temperatures all last week and the buds on our olive trees have exploded into a riot of flowers. All the branches are burdened with delicate lacy blossom and we are feeling optimistic about harvest 2022, in spite of the hot summer that awaits us.
It is impossible, and also misguided to use the words late, early, or even normal, when it comes to nature but it is definitely the case that the 30°C temperatures of the last ten days have affected all the cultivars that we tend in our groves.
The next phase is the fruit set and we will be watching carefully. This usually takes place in the first half of June. The small flowers wither and the corolla falls off. At this point the fertilized flowers are transformed into fruit. This phase is known as allegagione in Italian and is a decisive and significant moment for our trees.
Be sure to look out for our Tricolore recipe in honor of 2nd June, Italy’s Festa della Repubblica, dropping later this week.
Buona domenica.