Friday 16 August 2013

fickle fruit trees . four favourite fotos . friday flowers .

 

I have several fruit trees dotted around the garden and at the plot – some have plenty of fruit on them, some are completely fruitless – unlike last year when I didn’t have any fruit at all due to the late frosts.  The Bramley and James Grieve are loaded but three other apple trees are bare including my huge Golden Delicious tree – I can never fathom out why this happens.

The same goes for the plum trees.  I have a big old Victoria plum at the plot which is dripping with fruit, but the one in the garden is empty.  I have Damsons this year but no Greengages. I find it all very strange, why can’t all the trees  just do what they are supposed to do.

Bramleys – I can taste the apple crumble already.

James Grieve - the smell of them is almost as good as the taste.  Unfortunately they don’t keep but all my neighbours will benefit as I put on my Lady Bountiful hat and deliver bags full to all and sundry – whether they want them or not – the rest will be put through the juicer or eaten straight from the tree.

Plenty of jam and plum chutney to be made with these Damsons.

Unknown variety – but the blackbirds seem to like eating them.

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I am having a thing about brightly coloured flowers in the garden this year, these are some Pot Marigolds grown from seed that Flighty sent me – although they come in a range of oranges and yellows, my favourites are the really bright orange ones.  Then there are the gaudy lilies that I managed to save from last year.

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And this Coleus – Flaming Mosaic, that I found wilting in the ‘reduced’ section at the garden centre.

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Not something that I would normally go for – but I felt sorry for it.  It soon perked up after a good soaking.

The four favourite photos of the week include a Red Admiral Butterfly, a stunning sunset, something new and fishy hanging in the bathroom and Cream of Cucumber soup to use up some of the mountain of cucumbers I have this year.

And, finally the Friday flowers.

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Just a few stems that bent or broke during a recent downpour – Coreopsis, Achillea, Zinnia and one Corn Marigold.

See you soon – have a lovely weekend.

34 comments:

  1. Your flowers look so beautiful among the kitchentools! You also have a nice collection of apple trees. What I know about some varieties of apples, pears and also plums is that they are bearing biennial. After a year of many fruit they get a year with none or few fruit and that is changing from year to year. Cucumbersoup: delicious on hot days!
    Have a nice weekend!

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    1. Thanks Janneke. I am not sure about my fruit trees being biennial because they seem to fruit for a few years then have a rest - I know we all need a rest sometimes, but it is a little frustrating.

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  2. Lovely fruits and flowers. The apples and plums are looking abundant and surely will keep the neighbours happy as well. The coleus is very striking and a great find (I also check out the bargain corner).

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    1. One of my neighbours is a teacher and takes all the fruit I give her into the staff room to share out - apparently they are always asking when the apples will be ready.

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  3. I haven't seen a red admiral yet this year.

    As for fruit our plums and damsons on the plot always have a year when they are loaded followed by a year when they hardly have any fruit - as Janneke said I think it's called biennial cropping which lots of fruits are prone to. A heavy crop one year leads to the tree needing to build up strength again the following year hence hardly any fruit. The problem is the plums and gages on our plot synchronise and all have their rest year at the same time.

    I think Bramleys need two pollinators to perform as they are self sterile. Ours on the plot is fruitless but it's only a baby tree.

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    1. The red admirals definitely aren't as abundant as the peacocks so it was nice to see one. Some years the Bramley doesn't perform very well with only a few fruit - we gave it a good prune earlier in the year and it seems to have done the trick - a good job as I was going to chop it down if it didn't behave.

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  4. I wondered about the biennial cropping mentioned above but this is the second year now we've had little fruit on our victoria plum tree in 2011 we were inundated with fruit - the branches so heavy they were almost touching the ground. I like the sound of apple crumble and plum chutney:)

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    1. I agree Rosie 2011 was fabulous for fruit - my Victoria plum in the garden hasn't produced anything since then - it obviously just exhausted itself - hope next year it will buck up.

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  5. Your garden pictures are lovely...and all of that fruit...wow...
    hope you will come visit me..
    Love, Mona

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    1. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment much appreciated.

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  6. Fruit trees are so fickle. We had a late freeze that pretty much destroyed the apples. I had cherries early on, but the birds got them. Our little peach tree was loaded with baby peaches, but one by one they fell off. We rescued the last golf ball sized peaches the other day from the birds. I was really looking forward to fresh peaches, but it has been a rough year for fruit. We have two apple tress that have some fruit, but Mr. Horse has eaten the ones that hang over the fence. Beautiful butterfly picture and pretty flowers.

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    1. I bought a patio peach tree this year but I have kept it in the greenhouse as it wasn't making much progress outside - it would be wonderful to have some peaches next year - fingers crossed.

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  7. Damsons you say? Damsons????? I just love damsons so am really envious.
    I know what you mean about erratic fruit trees, I have the exact same problem. Every year some fruit while others don't....Now I've read Sue's comment it's less mysterious.

    You have some fab looking apples there and the lily is just gorgeous.

    Cream of cucumber soup? I never heard of it, but shall certainly google it now as I have tons of cucumbers.

    I love your sunset and the red admiral, and as usual your little posy is lovely.xxxx

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    1. I love damsons too and they don't seem to attract wasps like normal plums do - a bonus. The cucumber soup has a delicate taste - I eat it hot but you are supposed to have it chilled - I don't go much for cold soup!

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  8. I have exactly the same container for my kitchen tools. We had lots of Apple blossom this year but not so many Apples. Don't know what happened as there were lots og Bumble Bees about.

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    1. It seems that a lot of people have this earthenware container for kitchen utensils as I have found out from other blogs. I agree about there being lots of blossom early on, not sure why no fruit developed - one of the mysteries of life!

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  9. Considering some of your fruit trees are fickle, you still have a bounty of produce :) I have a pear tree that is laden, but nothing much else. I am looking forward to eating the pears and canning some as well.

    Your flowers are beautiful, including your posy in the kitchen. Such a lovely variety of photos :)

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    1. I only have ONE PEAR on my pear tree - the other six fell off - oh dear - I obviously won't be going into the pear-selling business just yet.

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  10. A most enjoyable post, with terrific pictures. I like apples and would like to grow some but they'd have to be dwarf stock.
    Thanks for the mention, and it's good to see the pot marigolds flowering.
    Thanks, and you too. xx

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    1. You can buy dwarf fruit trees quite cheaply these days - earlier in the year Wilkos were selling them for £5 each - keep your eye out next year and maybe you will find a bargain.

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  11. Good to see that you'll have fruit for harvest this year, even if some of your trees aren't performing. After we had such a dreadful apple year last year it is good to see plenty of fruit on the trees here, and there doesn't seem to be many wasps after them, either. And I love Cream of Cucumber soup, too - one of my favourites.

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    1. No wasps here at the moment either - but when they do come they love the sweetness of the James Grieve apple as do the starlings.

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  12. Lovely flowers - and yes, weird about the fruit. I am planning to plant some fruit trees in the Autumn, but reading all these blog posts am bracing myself for a changeable fruit future, swinging from boom to bust. Once they start fruiting that is!!

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    1. Good luck with the fruit tree choosing - fingers crossed they do well for you and aren't quite so fickle as mine.

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  13. That Coleus is surprisingly, amazingly lovely :)

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    1. Hi Pat - how lovely of you to stop by and leave a comment. It's a 'bobby dazzler' isn't it.

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  14. There is very little fruit on our trees this year-apples and cherries. As we do not know the history of the new to us orchard I don't know if it was a bumper crop last year. Everything looks like it could do with a good pruning. I'm investing in the services of an expert to get off to a good start. If I get a chance I will plant a damson tree (hard to find here) for future generations. Everyone should experience the taste of damson jam.

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    1. How lovely that you have an orchard - a damson tree(if you can find one) will definitely be a good investment - although they take a few years before they start fruiting.

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  15. My, lots of fruitfulness in your garden. And so nice to see Flighty's familiar marigolds -- they're making the rounds throughout the internet!

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  16. They certainly are - everyone has been very appreciative of his kind gesture.

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  17. Thanks for visiting, lots of yummy fruit trees, I envy you your Bramley, I love them for cooking and I have been unable to find them here in NZ, have to make do with Grannie Smiths. That lily looks beautiful.

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    1. Shame you don't have Bramleys in NZ they really are excellent for pies and crumbles.

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  19. Plants can be so uncooperative and opinionated. I don't think I've ever eaten a Bramley but maybe they're known by a different name here. Love that Friday bouquet. :o)

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