Dormant Trees

 Winter It Seems

is the time to plant trees. Apple trees in particular are particular, being cultivated domestically for such a long phase their needs when supplied to requirement gives a better taste. This in turn gives a broader range of varieties passing in favour over the centuries. Compared with the Mint genus it's not so odd, there could be over 7,000 varieties of Mint currently growing around the world for whatever their purpose, environmental input and output. This is subject to change through evolution. Perhaps not so associated with alcohol undeservingly, as Mint also makes a nice tipple. The Apple stands taller in a pretty picture I could stand next to a mint bush and it may smell nice, or I could stand next to an Apple tree and evoke thoughts about Issac Newton attempting to explain gravity, and the servant boy who stood with an Apple placed on his head for target practice, and myself considering why Adam got so upset about Eve and the Apple in the first place! Variety could be the spice of life indeed? Maybe each needs some forgiveness in hand. Either which way you look at it I feel the Apple Tree makes a more eloquent picture. 
My Bramley's arrived today evoking long hidden memories of childhood days in the kitchen helping to peel thick skinned apples and getting crumble mix stuck to my fingers! The taste of Apple Crumble straight from the oven on an Autumn Sunday evening may never leave me. That's the thing I find with deciduous trees, the leaves fall and nourish the ground they leave the tree like moving on enriching the soil for the fresh leaves in Spring, yet they never truly leave. M9's and M27's like a bare earth around their canopy, I plant herbs around the edges as I believe no tree truly likes to feel alone. I managed to source Dwarfing Bramley's so I need not be concerned about falling from my ladder reaching to gather fruit, or climbing up and down with a laden basket. I am into grafting and shall be making notes about flowering times and blossom tones for creating an ideal kitchen garden Apple based tree. That's good, the Bramley prefers 2 pollination partner trees so hopefully it'll feel right at home in my mini orchard, and cider trials. 
It's a late developer, like a few others we know.

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