Apples

It's slowly going towards Autumn, the Summer came early this year and brought plenty of rain, so the garden started growing fast and furious. This had advantages and disadvantages. The snails quite enjoyed theirselves this year. It is not one of the top meals that my cats enjoy - they actually avoid snails. It think it might be because they stick to their paws when they touch them. Nera, my big black fat cat, just squashes them when she lays on them. They dry up in her fur and that was one of the reasons she has a fur shave now and again under sedation at the vets.

Anyhow the weather seemed to do my apple tree good this year. Actually I have a soft spot for my apple tree. When we moved in ten years ago, we just had a lawn with a hedge round it. I then got to work on digging up the lawn, but the first plant I bought was my Apple Tree. Our local supermarket chain, called Migros in Switzerland, had a special offer going for apple trees. At thirty Swiss francs it was quite reasonable so I took it home. My other half was not so keen on the idea, having the vision of a five foot tall apple tree blocking the light from all the windows. I reassured him that it would grow taller than me (actually I am 1 m 75 cm, and the label said two meters, but 25 cms doesn't really make a big difference). I had to be patient - although the tree did flower from the first year I got my first two apples three years later. Over the last ten years it has had good years and not so good years. This year is quite good and looks like an over 100 apple year. The problem with having one apple tree is that it cannot make apples itself and you need a second one. I decided not to try to persuade my other half a second tree was necessary and just hoped that a neighbour had one that would flower at the same time.

I was lucky, just round the corner there is a small garden with an apple tree. I was doubly lucky as the bees and flying insects actually found their way to my garden, and the result was my first harves. I also have a smaller apple tree growing next to this one, which I have grown from a pip. That will probably be bearing the first apple in five years.

As it is now going towards end September, I decided that harvest time was getting near. I fought my way through blackberry/raspberry bushes that seem to have started taking over, and found that yes, there were apples looking ready to be eaten. Hubby found a few on the ground, some the victim of wild insect life, but a few looking quite healthy. I decided to try one and found it quite good. So it is now apple time again.