Here's another bit I'd missed from the book about the Ogham Tree Alphabet when I wrote about most of the trees/letters through 2021 (all the rest are HERE )
(The Ogham Tree Alphabet is the only native British writing system, devised over 2,000 years ago by Celtic Druids)
This is the letter Q and it's tree is the Apple which rules the light part of the year from May to October.
Here's a you tube clip from the Tales of the Green Valley, shown on TV in 2005 and at the end Ruth
is up in the loft of the C17 farmhouse where the apples and pears were stored through the winter.
September blow soft 'til the fruits in the loft.
Not just for eating of course as they were used for cider, which like beer, was the main drink for many people when water wasn't safe to drink. Many farm workers in the main cider areas in the south and west of the country had cider as part of their pay.
But on Tuesday morning I looked out and one was on the ground - bother. So picked it up and it looked like this .....
and all because a wet leaf had got stuck to it and turned it rotten underneath.
At Clay Cottage we had planted a couple more Apple trees to add to the two that were there when we moved in but back at the smallholding in Knodishall there were three when we moved in and we planted several more so that after 23 years we'd just about got to the stage when there were some to eat every day from September and to store for the winter too.
My mum always reckoned she had an Ogham stone in the rockery bless her
ReplyDeleteI wonder what it was - perhaps it had a carving on it?
DeleteHow lovely to have apple trees. Hope they do well and you get a good crop in subsequent years!
ReplyDeleteThe new trees have really suffered with our dry summer - hope I kept them alive to come back next year
DeleteJust watched that program. It was fascinating! thanks!
ReplyDeleteI Have the DVD of the whole 12 programmes - love it
DeleteI would love an apple tree to go with our cherry and pear tree (no pears as of yet).
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I love how your apple tree is climbing up the trellis - or appears to be. We have quite a few trees in the garden, but no apple tree. We might have to cut down one or two trees next year as they appear to be dead (they are huge!). I love having trees around though so maybe - just maybe - I might try an apple tree!
ReplyDeleteDo apple trees survive your winters? Hope you can get one
DeleteA shame about the apple - I guess the rest of it was edible though. Was it nice? xx
ReplyDeleteVery nice - I'll pick the others off soon before we get too much windy weather
DeleteThe apples on the tree look so tempting and hopefully no more will be damaged. Catriona
ReplyDeleteThey are huge and look very good
DeleteLoved the video. Life was so different back then - but I'm quite happy to just watch and not live it! :)
ReplyDeleteVery hard work and cold all the time I think
DeleteI agree, it's hard to imagine not having apples available all year round. We moved house at the end of April and I've been wondering how the small apple trees we left behind in the garden have fared this year. Your new little tree looks like it's going to crop well.
ReplyDeleteI still miss my fruit trees at the smallholding even after 6 years
DeleteYour apple trees are doing very well and to produce apples this quickly is a real gift. I had an apple tree and never got to eat the apples. The wildlife took everything. The tree is gone now. Presently, I have 2 pear trees and 1 peach. Both pear trees are producing well. The peach tree produces golf ball size peaches and they disappear. There is no stopping the wildlife. A friend says when the tree gets big it will produce enough for me and the wildlife. I'm not so sure.
ReplyDeleteI probably should have taken the apples off at the flower stage so the tree could get established better but I'm impatient!
DeleteThe Minarette apples look too beautiful to pick and eat.
ReplyDeleteGreat apples!
ReplyDeleteI love the illustrations in the Ogham book
Alison in Wales x
I Like apples in most things but I hate apple cider or apple juice crazy I know.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe that little tree had that many apples!
Cathy