Ellen Loyd – Education Intern

Welcome back, folks! I’ve got a great story for you all. This morning we had an exciting session of Junior Master Gardeners. We got to explore some bizarre fruits including coconuts, mango, and rambutan. It quickly became clear that it would take some brute force to open the coconuts, so I scoured about for the proper tool. Finding a miniature hoe, I cautioned our junior gardeners to stand back. With three swift strikes, I managed to crack it open. Then came the tasting. Let me be clear, I was keeping an open mind. I wanted to like the coconut. But holy smokes, the small piece I tried was the grossest thing I’ve ever eaten. There is the possibility that it was overripe, so I might give it another chance in the future. The rambutan, on the other hand, was delicious. Red and covered in flexible burs, it produced a smooth, white fruit with a small pit within. Like a sweet grape. I highly recommend it. Needless to say, the mango was divine, and was a favorite among our gardeners. (And it certainly helped to cleanse our palates of the coconut.)

• Ellen Loyd