Fruitful Friday

It has not snowed since but the freezing temperatures made the snow turn into ice blocks.The grass was very crunchy underfoot.I was mindful of the fact I am working tomorrow,and going to New York on Sunday morning.It was dry so I went out into the garden and found the lovely stainless steel spade with the nice wooden handle.I had four Fruit trees to plant.It was not the best conditions to plant them but I could not leave them any longer in the conservatory leaned up against the windowsill.I had to drag the patio Apple Tree to near the door so I could make room for my two new Apple Trees. The Pear Tree is called William Bon Chretian,which apparently mean good christian in french.I planted it alongside the greenhouse in the middle between the path and the pond.I want Cat to try to eat some home grown Pears.They are a traditional British fruit that has fallen out of favour because they take time to ripen even after picking.Patience is a virtue for this kind of fruit.I hope they taste sweet and juicy. The Apple Trees are both cooking Apples.I am a big fan of cooking Apple Pies and crumbles with home grown apples.At Fishponds where we lived before there was a well established tree that gave us plenty of fruit and made many yummy pies.They can be frozen too and used to compliment a traditional roast dinner.This one is a Bramley Apple Tree.It appears to have had all its side shoots cut off.This year will be a growing season for this plant.It might be next year before we see Apples on it. The second Apple tree is about twelve feet away from the Bramley.It is called Howgate Wander and is also a Cooking Apple.They are of the same pollination group so they should help fertilise each other.The rose bench sits between the Apple Trees.

I will have to move the hanging baskets though once they start growing.I have found a better solution to hanging baskets that does not involve screwing into wood.I bought some wonderful brackets that clip onto the concrete posts.They are expensive but very practical and will stop me splitting fence panels with my heavy baskets. The raised Strawberry bed was frozen solid with ice and snow.I had to plant the thirteen Strawberry Amelia plants into pots.They are sat in the greenhouse.I will plant them when I come back from New York. The last fruit Tree I planted was this Sweet Cherry Merton Glory.I had to plant it into a deep pot because I did not know where else to plant it.Of all the trees this was the most solid and is covered in bursting buds.Cat wants some of the grass given over to a patio area to sit the table and chairs.I may plant it alongside that.The garden is only small so I might need to prune the Trees to keep them within size.It will be a productive garden once it gets going.

It may take a while for them to get going but I'm hopeful our kitchen garden will provide us with fresh fruit for many years to come.