The other day I did a post on what was found within the courtyards of Yerevan. It contained many elements of history from the old cars to the homemade seating areas used by the older population to socialise. Those sorts of posts are quite fun for me, so I figured while I am in a more remote area in Armenia, it would be a neat idea to follow up on it with a post that displays the things one might find in a typical Armenian garden. Where these more remote regions are more spacious, and the population relies less on supermarkets and more on the luxuries of the garden produce. Now, of course the things that grow heavily depend on the season, and some of this post will go into that with the slow addition of some new fruit. Primarily, the garden in Armenia is a place of relaxation but also efficiency. It's where you'll find seating areas, little stone fireplaces for either baking or roasted things. But you'll also find trees that have been growing for generations already.
These trees are quite special to the locals, some even dedicate them to members of the family. They're mostly fruit trees that either grow apricots, apples, peaches, or pomegranates. It's rare for there to be trees that grow fruit beyond these specific ones purely because of the climate and seasons. With the apricot, grape, and pomegranate being long-lasting symbols of the Armenian culture. Found even within Soviet symbolism and cinema. Many buildings of that era will feature grapes carved into the stone, even. And a particular film, The Colour of Pomegranate, being one of Armenia's most famous for its strong references to Armenian traditions and culture, while also utilising the Pomegranate to convey themes of hardship and bloodshed throughout the generations. Often primarily referencing the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Turkish around 100 years ago. And one of the main reasons behind Armenia's happy conception into the Soviet Union in the first place for the security provided.
While the garden is usually optimised for its efficiency in producing whatever the family primarily enjoys, it comes to no surprise that people still plant flowers that aim to just be nothing more than colourful visuals to add to it. Though one reason as to why this isn't all that common is simply because of how strong the sunlight can be in some regions, and trying to plant flowers can be a bit of a waste of time given the scorching, dry sunlight can just kill them off very soon after they bloom, even if constantly watered. Some plants just aren't meant for this sort of environment. Usually, you see plants and trees that are good at storing water for long periods of time, and are much better at dealing with the heat. More suitable for the environment. But hey, if you have the space for a garden, why not plant some things that just look nice too?
Though this can also be met with some more herbal types of plants that can still be eaten. Sometimes they'll grow mint and use it for tea. Sometimes they'll grow basil and that'll go into various dishes or be placed within some Lavash (a thin type of bread that is similar to that of a tortilla). The mint can be used for various things beyond tea, of course. Though that's generally it in regards to herbal things. Maybe a few roses but that's more suitable for spring given the heavier and more frequent rains compared to summer's intense dryness. Such practices are likely to be found throughout the country, and even beyond into its neighbouring ones, which share some aspects of culture and tradition still even if the relations aren't particularly strong anymore. To continue on into the foods that are more likely to be eaten and are grown with a stronger priority, the garden will contain green and red peppers. These grow at different shapes and sizes, and much like other vegetables and fruits their size can depend on the direction of the sunlight and their exposure.
Unfortunately the apricot season is now over. The trees aren't producing any fruit at this point, and as we saw before we're actually transitioning into the autumn months where the famous Pomegranate takes over in terms of popularity. God, I'll miss the ice cold apricot juice but I'm looking forward to the pomegranate one! Peaches are still growing, though the general yield is a bit low given many of the trees in this garden are quite young still. I've tried one and it was one of the best I had tried. Completely homegrown without any chemicals. The same with the little apples which are still growing. Very green. Different in taste to the usual apples you might find in supermarkets. These ones are a bit crunchier, and they're generally smaller. With a more sweeter taste to them, slightly sour even. Not typically the type of apple I prefer to have.
Lastly, we have the grapes. These are found throughout Armenia and even in the courtyards of Yerevan's residential districts. These grape trees are usually suspended over the roads and overhanging. They grow in large quantities and tend to get quite big. Though the one of the biggest problems in their growth can be nature itself: birds. Birds will demolish these things if they have the chance, so often enough grapes are harvested pretty much as soon as they get to a decent size enough to be eaten. Relatively small, usually before they end up growing their seeds. Though they still taste great. As of the last few days I've found myself sitting outside in the garden munching on some that have been just picked from the trees.
The last image showing just how big these grapes get and how many of them grow at any given time. It's nice to see the diversity in garden life here in Armenia. Compared to back home in England where things that grow tend to be more autumn vegetables and not really fruit beyond apples. If you're lucky you might get some tomatoes or strawberries out. Perhaps even some other types of berries that grow on the natural bushes that are often found in the countryside. Thanks to the climate here, the supposedly poorer isolated regions tend to be living more lavish lifestyles than those within the city. Growing many of the things they would want and need within the comfort of their own spaces. Saving money in the process, free from any chemicals that larger industrial farms might use.