This week marks the spring equinox, the moment when day and night are nearly equal in length and the official start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. From here on, the days will continue to grow longer, bringing more sunlight, warmer temperatures, and a renewed sense of life across the orchard.

At Frog Hollow Farm, the arrival of spring is easy to see. Buds that rested quietly through the winter are beginning to open, revealing delicate blossoms across our trees. These blooms are one of the most beautiful signs of the season and they also mark the beginning of something even more exciting; Bloom season means we are officially on the path toward summer and the return of our beloved stone fruit!

Our orchard is home to a wide variety of stone fruits, including peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, pluots, and cherries. Each of these fruits begins the same way: as a small blossom that appears in early spring.

The Science Behind the Bloom

When fruit trees go dormant in winter, they pause their growth and conserve energy until conditions are right again. As temperatures warm and daylight increases, the trees “wake up” from this rest period and begin to bloom.

But a blossom alone is not enough to produce fruit. In order for that flower to develop into fruit, it must first be pollinated.

Pollination occurs when pollen moves from the male part of a flower to the female part. In the orchard, this is often made possible by bees and other pollinators that visit blossoms in search of nectar. As they move from flower to flower, they carry pollen with them, helping fertilize the blooms that will eventually grow into fruit.

This partnership between trees and pollinators is essential. Without it, many of the blossoms we see in spring would never become fruit.

How a Flower Becomes Fruit

Each blossom contains all the structures needed for this transformation to take place. The stamen is the male part of the flower and consists of a thin filament topped with an anther, where pollen is produced. At the center of the blossom is the pistil, the female part of the flower, which includes the stigma, style, and ovary.

When pollen lands on the stigma, it travels down through the style and fertilizes the ovary. Once this happens, the flower begins to change. The petals fall away, and the ovary at the base of the blossom begins to grow. Over time, that tiny structure slowly develops into the fruit we harvest later in the season!

Looking Ahead to Stone Fruit Season

Bloom season is a time of promise in the orchard. Each blossom represents the potential for a future peach, apricot, plum, etc., and the work happening now quietly shapes the harvests of summer.

As we celebrate the spring equinox and welcome the new season, we’re excited to watch the orchard continue its transformation. In the months ahead, these blossoms will gradually give way to the sweet, sun-ripened stone fruit that makes summer at Frog Hollow Farm so special.

Pre-order our legendary stone fruit today and be one of the first people to savor the summer season!