Mellow fruitfulness.

Arcimboldo . portraiture of Emperor Rudolph II

This year has been a fabulous one for fruit . Branches have been almost discontinue under the weight of enormous crops of plums , greengages , apples and Pyrus communis .

Cydonia oblonga ‘ Vranja ’

Arcimboldo. Portrait of Emperor Rudolph II

The small Medlar tree diagram , Mespilus germanica‘Nottingham ’ worried me in the first place in the summertime . What on earth is this?Fortunately it was only on one branch and I cut it off and all was well . I have quite a few medlars , I suppose I could blet them . That signify leaving them until they are rotten , which does n’t appeal . Nigel Slater mouth off about Medlar jelly , but he also says the yield smells rancid and look like a khat ’s bottom . I am not rush to make any . Actually the medieval name for this yield was something interchangeable , but expressed in the more robust language of the historic period . Shakespeare mentioned medlars in Romeo and Juliet .

‘ Now will he sit under a medlar treeand wish his mistress were that form of fruitas maids call medlars , when they express joy aloneRomeo that she were , o that she wereAn open or , thou a poperin pear tree . ’

I am not certain what Mercutio meant by this , but no doubt it is something very vulgar , so have ’s move quickly on .

Arcimboldo. Portrait of Emperor Rudolph II

Arcimboldo. Portrait of Emperor Rudolph II

It ’s a safe matter I decided to pass on bletting this year . As you see , the yield are now being used . They make cozy homes for lady beetle .

Mespilus germanica ‘ Nottingham ’

I forget to nett the soft yield , but still I had bumper crops . I was surprised because last yr the blackbird ate most of fruit . Maybe the scarecrow , Chloris frighten them . As I said in an early postal service , she pock me . She looks ever more dissolute and is ageing quicker than I am . I have try out to make her less androgynous -looking . She now sports a light-haired wigging and a padded bra .

I have find that people looking round the garden do a dual take when they see her . Nobody ever says anything , but they do give me fishy looks . Maybe they have never run into a strawman with a blonde wigging and a brassiere before . I must give her some smarter trousers .

She is quite a presence . If I accidentally bump into her when I am garden , I find myself apologising abundantly .

Anyway , under her baleful regard I have had lots of wonderful soft fruit this year .

Have you had bumper fruit harvests this twelvemonth ?

51 Responses toMellow fruitfulness.

You are too funny for words . tears of laugh are take to the woods down my impertinence . Bravo , and well done . pardon me , I need another tissue . Thanks .

Does anything scare squirrels ? If you found something , I ’m sure you could commercialise it . My squirrels are currently making off with unripe guavas , which they bury as if they were nuts they ’re putting by to surge them through wintertime . And why do squirrels involve to hide food for winter usance in southern California anyway ? We do n’t have a substantial winter and there ’s always snort seed to steal ! They ’re chewing their way through my persimmon craw too .

Well , it expect / sounds like Chloris is doing her line of work . I cogitate you could / should keep Chloris just the way she is – why mess with perfection ! I ’m overjealous of your fruit harvest . We do n’t have many edible fruit on our property here at home ( except for the periodic Fuchsia berry ) . But many , many fruits up at our cottage during the summertime – it ’s wedge full of Mulberries , Black Raspberries , and Blackberries , and once in a while Ground Cherries . I ’ve heard so much about Quince , but never taste it . I ’ll have to try one some twenty-four hours . Enjoy your bounty !

Chloris seem like a force to be reckoned with ! The wig and padded bandeau make her quite exceptional :) Your bumper crop of soft fruit is a testimony to her doing a cracking job scaring the shuttlecock ! We had a walnut tree which had to be remove as it was leaning hazardously but the squirrels planted several more in the neighborhood so all one needs to do is walk down our back street to collect armloads of them . ( Walnuts , not squirrel which are much more difficult to gather . )

Mellow fruitfulness.