A moment in the orchard

Yesterday I noticed with some amazement that the pear trees are now as smothered in tiny fruit as they were in blossom a few weeks ago. Pollination has been extraordinary. I shall need to prop up the branches in due course if the fruit all grows to maturity.

So today I had a wander around the property specifically to check out the other fruit trees (all except the apples which are still in flower). Were they also laden?

First I passed the five plum trees, which are indeed similarly laden with a promising-looking crop. Extra one.

Next were the two small peach trees which have given me a dozen peaches in previous years: there will be many more this coming autumn. Extra two.

As I wandered along the path between the trees I glanced to my left and came to a dead halt. Shocked. And then with my hands over my mouth I began to cry.

The five apricot trees, which for the last six years have been under the threat of the saw because of their completely useless performance (five apricots in total over those years) are dripping with fruit. There are thousands of baby apricots. 

I tried to capture the density of the crop in the main photo. Imagine this repeated dozens of time across the orchard. 

What I couldn’t capture was the stunned mullet look on my face and the tears which flowed for several minutes.

I’m still not entirely sure why I was so overcome by the sight of such bounty. Certainly I rate homegrown apricots above almost any other fruit, and certainly I’ve been frustrated about having five apparently healthy trees which have failed to provide me a crop each year. But I was surprised at the depth of emotion that surfaced and the well of happiness that has appeared.

Each tree has been caressed, thanked…and wept upon!

The pears that started it all appear in extra three (Beurre Bosc) and extra four (Red Bartlett).

A Good Day.