It's especially pretty when it flowers. Here is it on May 4.
Shortly after, on May 12, enduring a late spring snowstorm.
And a few days ago, September 6, weighed down with apples.
LOTS of apples, thanks to the frequent rain we had this summer. So far, I've picked up about six bucketfuls off the ground. Many of them had been feasted upon by the bunnies. :) And there are still approximately a gazillion left on the tree.
The third tree is a maple which I am sad to say has died. :( The bark has been peeling off it... creating the Bark Bat.
Doesn't that piece of bark look just like a fruit bat hanging in the tree!? Even zoomed in, it looks like a bat. :D
What a lovely garden you have! I can only imagine how much apple produces and apples you must eat to compensate how many apples this tree bears! And although the death of such a large tree is sad, the bat already hints at a great Halloween decoration... ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you! This is the first time since I bought the house that I've had this many apples. (The tree has only produced fruit in even numbered years (not sure if that's normal or not...), and 2012 was so dry that there were few apples.) I'm not quite sure what I'll do with them all!
DeleteI love my three appletrees deeply. I got a juicer for birthday gift a few years ago and almost all apples are juiced with this machine. The juice is perfect for a vitamin boost in winter and I use to make some "mulled wine" or glögg as we call it of some of the juice. Juice, spices a little sugar and a splash of single malt whisky makes a perfect glögg.
ReplyDeleteThe dead tree will make a perfect Halloween decoration for your garden this year. It does look like a bat hanging from the twig!
Mmm... sounds delicious! :)
DeleteI'm very sad that the tree died (and a bit nervous that it will fall on my house!), but it does look really cool. Very spooky, especially when the moonlight shines through it.
Wow, that apple tree is beautiful, I love how it does all the classic Season style pictures- apples, snow, beautiful blossoms!
ReplyDeleteI like the bark bat tree! I don't know if you have anything like this around there but where I live there are these owls known as Tawny Frogmouths that seem to like hanging out in old dead trees. Possibly because the bark colour helps them camoflage as it matches their feathers?
The tree is right outside my kitchen window, which makes for a beautiful view when it blossoms. And now, I can almost reach out the window and pick apples! ;)
DeleteOwls in old dead trees... I love it! It makes sense that they would hide out in feather-matching trees, where they can see but not be seen.
That does look like a fruit bat! You are so lucky to have such a beautiful tree and so many apples. I would be canning away like a mad woman so I can make homemade pies,crips, cake and loaves out of fresh apples from my own backyard in the middle of winter. Nothing smells more homey like baked apples in my opinion
ReplyDeleteI loooove the smell of baked apples with cinnamon. :D I'm a terrible cook, so I will likely bring in pounds of apples to share with my coworkers. It would be a shame to let them go to waste!
DeleteOh, that's a LOVELY bat!! Thanks for sharing it with us. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've got a yellow plum tree that spans most of my garden area, and during the summer it's actually dangerous to stand under it. It's around 25-30 feet tall, and those falling plums HURT! When I go out there during Falling Plum Time, I have to wear a brimmed hat to avoid concussions... But it's gorgeous in the spring when it blossoms, so I guess it's worth it!
Ha ha...Falling Plum Time! :D Yeah, I guess a plum can build up a fair amount of momentum falling 25 feet. Ouch!
DeleteReally, if you hadn't said it was bark... I would've thought you had a very unlikely visitor for the region! Heheh.
ReplyDeleteIs there jam in your future? =P
I would welcome a visit from a fruit bat. :D
DeleteJam would be nice. Alas, I have zero culinary skill. Scrambled eggs are advanced cooking for me.
Oooh look at all the apples! It would be nice to have a tree like that to get fresh apples to eat!
ReplyDeleteIt attracts lots of pretty birds as well. :)
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