The generous immigrant,
rooted firmly in our garden
is giving earlier this year
than ever before
in her thirty bountiful years.
Three full weeks
before the established pattern
of her annual benevolence,
a handful of hard green globes
are turning soft and luscious
day by day.
Three full weeks
of early figs!
A delight and a portent.
This poem stems from having probable on-the-spot evidence of the effects of climate change in our East Anglian Garden - see here and decide for yourself!
2026 first fig picked 15th July: (19 by 28th July)
2025 first figs picked 31st July:
2024 first fig picked 31st July: then none until 7th August
2023 first fig picked 14th August
2022 first fig picked 15th August
2020 first fig picked 7th August
2015 first fig picked 6th August
2010 first fig picked 6th August
So 7th August taken as ‘usual’ start date for the purpose of this poem
