The Tale of Two Trees.

I will not write about the war. Let's leave that to the professionals.

I want to write about two trees in my backyard instead - the lemon and the carob. They are so close to each other, that they almost blend into one, but their history is quite different.

The lemon was planted when we first started the garden, back in 2001. It was a young tree, and didn't bear any fruit. However, as time passed, large lemons started to appear, and the yield became greater after each passing year. At the time of writing, the tree is spotted with dozens of heavy lemons. Their skin in thick, and they're the size of small oranges.

We are again faced with the problem of what to do with all the produce. The idea of making lemon syrup became kind of boring after two seasons, so today we give them away. If you live around Netanya, or can come visit me at work in TA, feel free to drop me a line.

The second tree is the carob. Six years ago I sowed two carob seeds that I brought from Zikhron. The seeds germinated immediately and grew into tiny trees. One tree was planted next to the northern wall, and one next to the lemon. After a gross gardening mistake (never mind what it was), the first tree got uprooted and died, but the second survived. I cared for it meticulously, and today it's almost as big and strong as the nursery-grown lemon.


There was only one glitch in its "upbringing". Can you spot the bend in the lower part of its trunk? This is a sign my eldest son left with a pair of pruners when he was 4. He ran around the garden cutting small branches from the hedge, when he got to the little carob. I was working elsewhere and wasn't paying attention, when he topped the little tree, leaving it without a supporting beam. Lucky for us, the tree recovered quickly, and grew an alternative beam, which is now its main trunk. But the bend will always be there, reminding of the little accident three years ago.