As I went to share these photos and write this post, I was thinking about our kiwi arbor when we first built it and how much the plants have grown since then. (Funny, I wrote that post two years ago today exactly!)

I love when the leaves turn yellow in the fall, they look so beautiful. The leaves turning also seem to let us know when the kiwis are ripe.

We harvested our kiwis in October. What a blessing to have fresh fruit that time of year, when all things fresh start fading for the season.

One of our long time homestead goals has been to have fresh fruit growing for as much of the year as possible, so we were delighted when we discovered hardy kiwis that ripen in October in our area. They’re delicious too, eaten like grapes- skin and all.

It takes so much patience when you’re growing fruit… sometimes many years before you get your first harvest and then longer to get anything than more than a handful. (Hardy kiwis can take 3-4 years before they produce any fruit.)

You know what they say, though… good things come to those who wait! It’s true. I know our humble harvest tasted better this year because of how long we waited to try them.

Hardy kiwis are easier to grow than the more well known fuzzy-skinned varieties, and they grow in a wider range of garden zones than I expected. You might be surprised to find that they can grow in your area too. It’s worth checking out because they are a wonderful addition to the garden!