I have mentioned my very old apple tree in previous posts and as it is in blossom at the moment I thought I would show you some photos of it. I must also mention that Cheryl, at My Wildlife Sanctuary has invited me to join her in a joint posting with links to each other's blog as she too has an old apple tree and she suggested it would be fun to both post on the same day with photos of our blossom. As you may know she has the most beautiful wildlife garden so I do hope you will pop over to visit her as well. I also know that Joe who too has a wildlife garden has posted this week with photos of his apple tree blossom which is well worth a visit here.
I'm writing you, my dear,
Just to tell you,
In September, you remember
'Neath the old apple tree
You whispered to me
When it blossomed again, you'd be mine.
I'll be with you in apple blossom time,
I'll be with you to change your name to mine.
What a wonderful wedding there will be,
What a wonderful day for you and me!
Church bells will chime
You will be mine
In apple blossom time.
(Neville Fleeson/Albert Tilzer )
Mine is, as I said, a very old tree which we think may have been planted in the mid-1930s. I have never been sure of the variety but a knowledgeable old gentleman told me some years ago that he thought it was possibly Laxton's Superb but on further investigation this seems to be incorrect as the apples on mine are ready for picking in mid-September whereas Superb ripens later. I now think it may be Laxton's Fortune but I suspect I may never know for sure. The buds are flushed with a delicate pink and open to white.
HLH and I have always called it our magic apple tree which was a name I borrowed fom the book of the same name by Susan Hill. Most years it bears a pretty good crop of fruit, we never do any major pruning, the birds of course love it, as do the bees and other insects and it is home to a variety of wind chimes and bird feeders. It is nice to sit under; a succession of dogs have laid in its shade, and edible mushrooms have been known to grow beneath it! When it is in full blossom I am always reminded of a bride in her wedding dress.
Up in the tree we see you,
HLH and I have always called it our magic apple tree which was a name I borrowed fom the book of the same name by Susan Hill. Most years it bears a pretty good crop of fruit, we never do any major pruning, the birds of course love it, as do the bees and other insects and it is home to a variety of wind chimes and bird feeders. It is nice to sit under; a succession of dogs have laid in its shade, and edible mushrooms have been known to grow beneath it! When it is in full blossom I am always reminded of a bride in her wedding dress.
blossom-babies,
All pink and white;
We think there must be
fairies to protect you
From frost and blight,
Until some windy day, in drifts of petals,
You take your flight.
You'll fly away! But if we wait with patience,
Some day we'll find
Here in your place, full-grown and ripe, the apples
You left behind
A goodly gift indeed, from blossom-babies
To human-kind!
Cicely Mary Barker.
The blossom never lasts long and all too soon the petals start to flutter down like confetti on the breeze with the promise of a ripe harvest to come in the early Autumn.
Well that's it for now, a slightly different post this time, but my next one, in a few days time will be back to the birds.
Well that's it for now, a slightly different post this time, but my next one, in a few days time will be back to the birds.
It certainly is a beautiful old apple tree absolutely laden with blossom. It really is a pity the sight lasts for such a short time.
ReplyDeleteHi Shy Songbird......what an absolutely beautiful post, thank you for joining in with me.....
ReplyDeleteYour old apple tree is charming.....there is something so special about apple blossom.....
I love your use of poetry and words from the old song 'in apple blossom time' (hope I am right with that one).......I so enjoyed that...thank you......
Lovely photos and poems SS, I do wish I had an apple blossom :(
ReplyDeleteI had planned to get crab apple 'red sentinel' but never seem to get round to it and there's always something else to do!
I do think there are some apple trees around though, and since these houses were all built in the 30's it's reasonable to assume they too were planted then!
Whatever its correct name is ShySongbird, it's certainly a beautiful tree, laden with blossom.
ReplyDeleteMagic most definitely!
It's glorious at the moment isn't it?
ReplyDeleteOh by the way if you take one of your apples to one of the Apple Day festivals organized by Uncommon Ground you'll most probably find someone able to identify it.
ReplyDeleteAlternately post a picture (and remind me to look) and I'll get my "apple man" to take a look.
Oh, how I would love to lay under your apple tree and watch the petals drift down! Your tree is full of blossoms--it must be very happy indeed!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful apple tree!! I loved the poetry to go along with the post.....Great photos!!! Every time I see photos or someone mentions an apple tree it reminds me of the old WWII song, "Don't sit under the apple tree" I always loved that song.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tree, and lovely photos of it, Songbird! The poetry fits so well with your photos; it reminds me of a slower pace, a more relaxed time. I, too, have an apple tree that I have been enjoying right now. I only wish their blooms would last all summer:) I've come to visit by way of Cheryl's; a lovely post.
ReplyDeletelovely words to lovely photos
ReplyDeleteSheila
good on you for allowing the old tree to live and thrive. So many gardeners just cut them down without a thought for the wildlife.
ReplyDeleteJohn, you are right, it seems like one moment it is in all its glory and the next it is gone and just a lovely memory.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, thank you very much for your lovely comments. I enjoyed linking with you it was fun and thank you for inviting me.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the tree in blossom but just wish it was for longer.
You are indeed right, the first piece is an extract from the old song.
Liz, thank you very much. There is something nicely old fashioned about an apple tree I think, and I cannot imagine the garden without it.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about plans for the garden I often make ones which never come to fruition!
Keith, thank you very much. I really am very fond of the tree and there is something magical about it to me, its many years of survival make it special at the very least.
ReplyDeleteRe, Welcome and thank you for visiting. Yes it is glorious but already the petals are starting to fall, its flowering time is all too short.
ReplyDeleteThank you also for your second comment and the suggestion, I did think of an apple day festival as I published the post, there is usually one held annually at a stately home near here. I have never visited but it may well be worth going along. Also thank you for your 'apple man' offer, I may do that.
Morning Glories, you would be very welcome to lay under the tree but you would probably be joined (and enthusiastically welcomed) by a rather large and friendly dog!
ReplyDeleteIt does seem happy to grow in our garden, perhaps it knows we love having it!
Ginny, thank you for the lovely comments, you are very kind.
ReplyDeleteFancy me forgetting that song, it is such fun. I knew there was another one somewhere at the back of my brain and that was it! Never mind, maybe next year.
Rose, welcome and thank you for finding your way to me from Cheryl and also for your very kind comments.
ReplyDeleteA slower pace and more relaxed time is something that many of us yearn for, I think, and would suit me very well.
It would be wonderful if the blossom lasted longer but there are still the apples to look forward to I suppose, I hope your tree has plenty later in the year.
Sheila, thank you very much indeed.
ReplyDeleteWarren, thank you for your kind comment. I could never cut a tree down, I still haven't got over the neighbours who had a whole row of mature native trees cut down because they were shading their greenhouses, so many birds lost their habitat and the neighbour's greenhouses are long gone to make way for the latest garden fashion fads! My blood still boils at the thought of it!! As you say so terribly thoughtless.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, thanks a lot for mentioning me and my blossom post. I loved reading about your blossom and your photos were brilliant. Great macro photography.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Hi Jan
ReplyDeleteIt certainly makes a lovely change to see picture's of Apple Blossom, Your Apple Blosom tree's. They might be old but there wonderful when in bloom. I wil check out the link on your blog. Take care.
...what a beautiful post with lovely narration. An apple tree from the early 1930s is such an exception! It must also be beautiful when the breeze stirs the petals and they fall like snow!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful sight Jan and such appropriate verse to go with it.
ReplyDeleteI've also an Apple Tree in my garden which was a mature tree when I moved here 24 years' ago. I've no idea what it is but, like yours, it blossoms beautifully every year!
Joe, thank you for the lovely comments and it was a pleasure to include a link to you, you have such a lovely site and I'm sure people will enjoy looking at your beautiful blossom too.
ReplyDeleteKen, thank you very much, the tree really has been a picture but already the petals are falling, the blooms last such a short time.
ReplyDeleteKelly, thank you so much for your lovely comments. There is something quite humbling about having a tree of that age and knowing it has lived here long before we did, I think it shows we don't really 'own' our gardens but have been entrusted with the care of them for a while. That is one reason I think it is so sad when someone fells a tree with no thought of its age or of the effect on the birds which inhabit it.
ReplyDeleteTricia, thank you very much. There are so many trees blossoming at the moment. When I visited my brother and sister-in-law yesterday the petals were spilling from their Cherry tree like pink snowflakes, they looked so pretty.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and a lovely post. Blossom just doesn't last long enough does it?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the visit and your nice comment...Your tree is wonderful, must be a buzzz with bees and nectar lovers. Wishing you a great crop this year!
ReplyDeletePam, welcome and thank you for visiting and for your very kind comments. You are absolutely right, the blossom doesn't last long enough, but it is a lovely treat to look forward to each year.
ReplyDeleteDixxe's Doodles, welcome and thank you for visiting. Yes the tree certainly attracts plenty of bees, insects and birds and hopefully we should get a fair few apples again this year.
ReplyDeleteshysongbird,
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely post...your apple tree and blossoms are beautiful.
trying to keep up with everyone is impossible...at springtime...but loved this post.
Marmee, thank you for your lovely comments. I do agree it is very difficult to keep up with all the blogs at the moment with so much to be done in the garden, and doubly so for you with the amount of land you have I'm sure. Thank you for popping over you are always welcome.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful post, I love apple blossom!
ReplyDeleteI feel all relaxed reading your poetry and looking at the beautiful pictures!
I am so relaxed I don’t want to go to work now, I must remember only too read your posts before bed time. ;0)
I got myself a bird book yesterday, with your help and the book I should know all my birds soon, well some anyway!
Have a lovely weekend…love Lou xxx
PS. Thank you for your lovely comment! :0)
Hello I hope you don't mind but I was so inspired by this post that I've copied the idea and posted about my own apple tree over at Renaissance Little Green book.
ReplyDeleteLou, thanks for your lovely comments and managing to find the time to pop over. I hope you're not working too hard it must be a very busy time for you at work at the moment.
ReplyDeleteGood for you on getting the bird book, it's always useful to have one around.
Hope you have a lovely relaxing weekend.
Lots of love and XXXX to you and Poppy.
Re, hello and thanks for visiting again. That's absolutely fine, I am flattered and will pop over to have a look at your post shortly.
ReplyDeleteDear Shy Songbird,
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed your post. Old Apple trees are charming.
I can almost smell yours!
Sherry
Sherry, welcome and thank you so much for visiting and for your lovely comments. It really does seem a magical tree to me and I'm sure could tell tales of those who have lived here before.
ReplyDeleteHello, I wandered over from Q's Corner and am so delighted that I did.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post...such a magnificent old apple tree and I loved the way you presented it! Our apple trees haven't bloomed yet, something lovely to look forward to.
I will be back to visit and browse more through your previous posts.
I, too, love the birds!
With best wishes,
Nan over at Shells and Roses and Furry and Feathered Friends
Nan, welcome and thank you so much for visiting and for your very generous comments.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you still have your blossom to look forward to, with the high winds we have here today ours is falling fast!
I do hope you come back to visit again, you will be most welcome.
Hello again, just wanted to thank for stopping by Shells and Roses and leaving such lovely comments! When you have a chance, could you stop by my Furry and Feathered Friends blog, I just saw a bird that I have never seen before in our garden and so far I haven't got a clue as to what kind of bird it is and was wondering if you might have any ideas.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
Nan