Tree full of blossom!

[angieh]

Here are some pictures of a strange little tree in my garden. It was here when we moved in 12 years ago and is actually a grafted tree, with apple on one side and (we think) a type of cherry on the other - not edible though. The apple is lovely but we only seem to get 2 or 3 per year and they are very like Lord Lambourne.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/angieh_bucket/Misc/007.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/angieh_bucket/Misc/008.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/angieh_bucket/Misc/009-1.jpg

By the way, has anyone else noticed the photobucket upload has changed again?

[Mags]

That really is a pretty tree Angie..:D

I noticed PB's change last week, it's a lot easier and quicker isn't it? :D

[Moli]

Thats lovely, beautiful colour........

[Fran]

Beautiful tree!!!! Photobucket keeps changing! Every time I go on there, they have made yet more changes :roll: :-D

[Kim]

Very pretty tree. Thanks for sharing. :)

[dandysmom]

What a lovely tree; shame the cherries aren't edible. But even a few apples are nice.

With dial-up I expect PB to be very slow; uploaded two pics just before I put out the trash and got Leia's grass: they were finished when I got back..hardly any time at all!!
Maybe I'll tackle the Edit feature again....

[CathyW]

we have a rather sad cherry blossom tree outside our place. but it is nice to look at.
my favorite is the magnolia. but our climate ruin them. shame really.

[dandysmom]

BM, Washington is a tad too far north for magnolias: we almost always get a hard frost when they have just started blooming, so the blooms turn to brown mush...but the one year in five or so that they bloom safely they are just magnificent! Wish I'd thought to take some pics... this was a good year .......

[angieh]

This is the second set of (apple) blossom that comes later on the same little tree as above.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/angieh_bucket/Misc/003.jpg

There seems to be more blossom this year, so perhaps we'll manage to beat the birds and get a few more apples, which are delicious!

I have always considered grafting to be one of the specialist crafts that marks out a good gardener (not me!) but it struck me this morning whilst taking this picture that if you have a smaller garden, this sort of grafted tree would be ideal - lengthening the blossom time and with the added bonus of fruit in the autumn. Just wish I knew how to prune this little delight better and so encourage it more!!!

[dandysmom]

More blossoms; lovely little tree! I do hope you get a good yield of apples this year. Do you spray it at all? There is, I believe, something called Blossom Set. have a vague memory that it helps set the fruit.

[angieh]

I must admit that I find pruning a bit daunting - never mind the problems of reaching the branches/stepladders or extendible pruning shears etc. I have had the little tree professionally pruned a couple of times - it was the tree surgeon who drew my attention to the grafting in the first place. I suspect that it is an oldish tree.

(More to come - Heroes is just starting!)

[angieh]

Sorry about that - can't miss Heroes!

The reason I suspect it is an oldish tree is that I think the first owner of this bungalow probably planted it and may also have grafted it himself. The bungalow was built in the 1950's and the man lived here for about 40 years before moving to Australia to live nearer his family. When we got the Deeds, there was only his name and the name of the people that we bought the property from on them.

The neighbours on both sides and also at the bottom of the garden have all lived here in excess of 40 years and remember him. We are the newcomers, only having been here 12 years.

[dandysmom]

Isn't it nice to know that your tree's probably an original inhabitant! Apple trees are very long lived, as I know you know...it will probably outlast all of us here! I do hope you get a good crop of them this season.......