I took these photos about 4 weeks ago when the young apple trees in the garden were covered with blossom and I thought how wonderful it would be if all the blossom turned into apples.
Somewhere in one of my books is an old saying about not being able to count the apple crop very soon in the year but I've searched and can't find it.............It's a bit like chickens, eggs and hatching.
There must have been lots of pollinators because this years flowers to fruit percentage is good and the Falstaff - above- is looking hopeful for a good crop, so much so that I'm going to need to do some thinning out and there's the 'June Drop' too which is the way the tree copes with dry weather and too many fruit.
I looked in labels and found the Apple Blossom Fairy from Cicily Mary Barkers books hasn't been on the blog before although 36 others have appeared. She painted 168 in total so there is a way to go.
When i googled to find out how many Flower Fairies there are, up popped an ad from Oxfam Shops Online where they have for sale a 1950s copy of three of her books together in one volume. They want £140 for it!!
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The Russell Cotes Museum in Bournemouth is staging an exhibition of Cicely Mary Barkers work over the summer. I've been meaning to go and your post about the beautiful apple blossom and illustration should get me going!
ReplyDeletePenny
I loved visiting the RCM when we lived in Dorset, it's a museum I would definitely recommend seeing.
DeleteThat sounds like an interesting visit.
DeleteIt's astonishing what prices rare second hand books can command.
ReplyDeleteI donate things to charity which I know I could get a bit of money for, but consider it to be instead of donating money.
We had quite a lot of apple blossom this year, I haven't looked to see how many apples are on the tree.
Here in Wales, there is a huge booksellers which come round the charity shops for the good books which have been put on one side. I don't think they pay a great deal for them, which is sad. Good books never reach the shelves of the charity shop.
DeleteI wonder if that's common. Oxfam put lots of things on their online shop but what do they do with stock isn't sold.
DeleteThe problem is perhaps caused by re-sellers? Buy from charity shops at a sensible price, then haul the price up and resell on Ebay etc. At least the charity will be the one benefiting if anyone is desperate to own the book. Elaine
ReplyDeleteI think many of the people now going to car boot sales are reselling online
DeleteGood shops don't make it to the shelves here in Wales (see comment above). People will buy from car boot sales etc and see what Abebooks etc are asking, and price accordingly.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there's no way of knowing if books on Abe etc ever get sold at their high prices
DeleteYour blossom was beautiful. 🌸 Ours wasn't very prolific this year, so I'm not expecting much from our final apple harvest.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at just how much blossom seems to have turned into apples - I'm hopeful for a good crop
DeleteSecondhand book sales has gone a bit crazy imho.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blossom, our little apple trees are rather exposed, I don’t think they’ll be many apples this year.
Alison in Devon x
Long gone are the days when books were 1p on Amazon
DeleteYour apple tree looks robust and ready to provide you with a great harvest.
ReplyDeleteI find if someone can find a way to increase a price they do. It is sometimes outrageous.
Very True
DeleteI'm sure they'll discount it if it doesn't sell. I'm actually glad the charities price their books appropriately, so they get the profits rather than re-sellers.
ReplyDeleteI shall look again in a whie and see if it's still the same price.
DeleteThat's a ridiculous price for the Flower Fairies book. I just wonder if the book will be taken apart for the pictures. Very sad if someone does that.
ReplyDeleteWe have hardly any blossom on our apple trees at the allotment this year. We had a bumper crop off both trees last year so perhaps they need a rest this time Your blossom looks gorgeous.
Angie
It's more about do they sell at that price. Asking isn't getting! I imagine they pulp unsold books as libraries do with their discards.
ReplyDelete