Spring flowers are feasts for bees

In years past, mid-April has been when the crocus peak, but the crocuses are already done. This year, most of the flowers are at least two weeks early. In fact, so much has been flowering in the last week, I’m having trouble keeping up. The bees are having a great spring. So while they are […]

What grows on trees

In all the wet weather, I haven’t seen many bees. A few bumblebees, the occasional miner bee, and not even all that many honeybees. But little by little, they got the job done.

Still admiring apple blossoms

I spent the day trucking about, so I barely have energy left for admiring the blossoms climbing up that little apple tree. Who cares if it fruits? These are pretty enough. Sleep and grow well, little apple tree.

Apple blossoms for May Day

The apple trees are flowering, and I can’t get enough of how pretty the blossoms are. They begin as red dots that swell to round buds with a pink blush. Both the Macintosh and the Egremont Russet trees that I planted last spring are now opening white flowers. As for the crabapple trees, they are […]

Fruit Tree Saga

I’ve always wanted a yard full of fruit trees. When I was a child, some of our neighbors had a yard that was jam-packed, green and shady and wonderful. For a year in college, we lived in a house when all sorts of interesting citrus trees, as well as a fig and a pomegranate. (None […]

Tarte Tatin

Ah, well, sometimes socializing trumps blogging. And sometimes socializing involves baked goods. Like maybe … apple doughnut pie!

Flowers don’t punt

It’s a while since I punted. I was up late, reading, and suddenly it just didn’t seem important to scrabble out a post before midnight. What can I say?

We who are about to pie, salute you!

Ugly little suckers, aren’t they? These are Roxbury Russets, delicious heirloom apples that makes it worth haunting the farmer’s markets asking if those russeted apples have come in yet. “Russet” means they have a thick, coarse skin that might even look like scales, but what it really is is armor–keeps the bugs out and the […]