At the beginning of last year, I bought a cherry tree. As I am short on space in my garden it is planted in a half barrel. It's a Stella, which is a dessert cherry and has been grafted on to dwarf rootstock to keep it compact. Having it's roots contained in the half barrel will also prevent it from growing tall. Last year I got the grand sum of one cherry, which I didn't point out to my daughter who would have fought me for it, but instead greedily kept to myself without sharing. This year there is lots of blossom on the tree, so I'm hoping that we'll all get a taste this time.
Last week I was given two lovely awards from Tanya at Allotments 4 You. These are the Beautiful Blogger Award and the One Lovely Blog Award. It's always nice to receive awards, so thank you very much, Tanya.
The rules of the awards are to link to the blog which gave you the award, list seven random things about yourself and pass the awards on to other blogs which you feel deserve them.
So, for my random seven things:-
1) I had to wear a brace on my teeth when I was young. I had one with a plate which covered the roof of my mouth, but I hated it so much that I used to take it out as soon as I was on my way to school and didn't put it back in until I was round the corner from home. Consequently, it didn't work, so I ended up having to have one which was glued on to my teeth to prevent me taking it out.
2) I left school at the age of 16. I was due to go back after the summer holidays to start A levels, but decided during the holidays that I didn't want to return. My mum wasn't very happy and told me that I had better get a job before the start of school, otherwise I would be going back. I managed to get a job in a bank within the week.
3) I met my hubby in a pub where I was working. After our first date, I told my mum that I would marry him, and he proposed three months later. We'll be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary this year.
4) I'm a Cancer survivor. It will be 10 years in December since I had surgery to remove a tumour, I was given chemotherapy afterwards. My sister had died from Cancer the year before.
4) I'm a Cancer survivor. It will be 10 years in December since I had surgery to remove a tumour, I was given chemotherapy afterwards. My sister had died from Cancer the year before.
5) One of my hobbies is genealogy. I have traced my family tree back to the 1700's and have been in touch with a few long lost relatives, including my mum's cousin. I managed to arrange for them to meet, the first time they had seen each other in over 60 years.
6) I can touch my lower right arm with my right thumb, and my lower left arm with my left thumb.
7) My ears are pierced twice. I haven't worn earrings in the top holes for about 20 years, but they never heal up.
The blogs I would like to pass the award on to are:-
You are under no obligation to accept the award or pass the award on, but I wanted to let you know that I enjoy your blogs.
Thanks Jo, I'm flattered and honoured to be awarded them. I accept them and will blog accordingly really soon.
ReplyDeleteSu
Glad you liked the awards Jo and glad you have plenty of blossom on your tree this year. i am going to be purchasing a few fruit trees for the allotment this year and I do love cherries so there's an idea....also I have some blossom on my dwarf nectarine this year for the first time ever....hope it fruits!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jo. I very kind gesture. I will blog them tomorrow. The blossom looks gorgeous too. Good luck on the cherries this year as I dont think you will be able to hide them again
ReplyDeleteThanks for the award Jo, great to see that you're enjoying the blog! Looking forward to finding out whether or not you beat last year's grand total of a single cherry!
ReplyDeleteHey Jo! Thank you so much. I will forward it very soon. So glad you enjoy my blog. I will make an extra effort to keep it interesting!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your awards Jo! I hope your cherry continues to do well and produces lots of blossom and fruit later in the summer.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these interesting and moving facts about yourself Jo, I feel that I know you so much more now:-)
Jeanne
x
I do hope that you all get a bite of the cherry this year Jo. Worth growing for that flower alone. Snap to number 6 :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jo - thank you so much for thinking of me, and for your lovely comments. I will get to work on it -
ReplyDeletexxx
Don't blame you for not sharing the one cherry last year, hope you get more this year. I have two mature cherry trees which get stripped bare by the birds, I suppose I need to net them but that would be a bit of an eyesore.
ReplyDeleteI have a young Stella cherry tree. In the first year there were only 2 cherries, in second about 10. This is its 3rd year. They grow pretty fast.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping for more cherries this year too but it was frosty last night so I hope the blossom has survived.
ReplyDeleteSo many blooms - lucky you. Ours is a Stella too, fingers crossed we get to eat some this year. I love cherry blossoms so much I have a tattoo of one on my wrist and call my photography shop Cherry blossom tattoo!
ReplyDeleteoohh it is that cherry blossom that I want so much! I really must buy a tree with my birthday money as the blossom is just so gorgeous! Loving those facts about you - how lovely that you met your hubby and it was love at first sight :-)
ReplyDeleteHi jo,I enjoyed reading your blog I'm sure you will have lots of cherrys this year. I'm so pleased you liked my blog and for your kind awards I will do my best to think of seven interesting things....my take a while!
ReplyDeleteSue
I love blossom and cherry has to be one of the prettiest. I am interested you are growing it in a half barrel. It makes me feel better as we have just bought a pear tree and have it in a pot on the patio...it said it was a patio tree but I was suspicious as to whether this would be ok but now I've read this I think it may be ok afterall.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you share the photo of your first cherry pie! Happy Earth Day, Jo!
ReplyDeleteHi finally I'm just catching up on everyone's blogs that I follow.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get more than one cherry this year, the tree with all its blooms looks promising.
I took some pictures of some cherry trees in my neighbourhood, which are heavy with blossoms, will post about them soon.
Congrates on your awards, and thanks so much for passing on to me, will be ever so happy to accept and will post about them soon.
Hi JO
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for thinking of me, I am honoured. I am unsure of who to tag as some people dont like it so am reluctant to take part. But thank you so much, it is lovely to know others enjoy. And I love your blog too!
Claire x
Great post Jo, I enjoyed reading your seven....like you I knew I would marry my hubby when I first met him, it will be 10 years in July, I have a few more holes in my ears thanks to a misspent youth and a former boyfriend who had an ear piercing kit and every year I run the race for life in celebration of people just like you. You deserve many more awards. x
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Su. I enjoyed reading your post and your seven random facts. I look forward to following your progress this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the awards, Tanya. The added bonus with a cherry tree is the gorgeous blossom. I'd be careful if you do decide on a cherry for your allotment as they can grow huge unless they are on a less vigorous rootstock. I look forward to hearing about the progress with the nectarine.
You're welcome, GardenerX. I enjoyed reading your post. There's more blossom on the cherry tree this year, so that must be a good sign, I don't think I will get away with eating the whole harvest again.
You're welcome, Amy. I'm looking forward to following your progress this year. Surely I will get more than a single cherry this year, I can't be so unlucky again.
You're welcome, Wartimegardening. I'm enjoying reading all about Mr. Middleton's advice. I look forward to following your progress this year.
Thanks, Jeanne. I don't tend to blog about personal things ordinarily, so this post was a little different. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more than one cherry this year.
The blossom on the tree is gorgeous, Anna, lets hope it all turns into cherries. Glad that I've found someone else with this odd affliction too, my hubby just thinks I'm weird.
Thanks for visiting, Maisey's Attic, and you're welcome. I look forward to reading your post.
That's the problem with large trees, Damo, the birds can easily reach the fruit. I expect it would be a bit of a job to get them netted though.
We'll both be keeping our fingers crossed for a larger harvest from our cherry trees, Vrtlarica. I don't think my tree will grow very large as it's been grafted on to dwarf rootstock and it's planted in a half barrel which will restrict it's growth. Cherry trees can grow huge though.
I hope the blossom survived, Green Lane Allotments. We've had a bit of a ground frost here over the last week, but it doesn't seem to have done the blossom any harm.
The cherry I got to eat last year was delicious, Carrie. I think Stella is a good choice. I agree, cherry blossom is just beautiful.
It was love at first sight whilst serving him a beer, Scented Sweetpeas. I usually get plants or gardening items for my birthday, or if I get money, I spend it on these things. A cherry tree is a good choice.
Thanks for visiting, Sue. I look forward to reading your post, and following your progress this year.
If the tree is labelled as a patio tree I'm sure it will be fine in a container, Ninasgardeningnotebook. There are many companies who graft trees on to dwarfing rootstock now which restricts the eventual height of the tree, making it suitable to plant in a container. Just be extra vigilant when watering as containers tend to dry out quicker than open ground.
Fingers crossed for enough cherries to make a cherry pie with, Avis. If that happens, I will certainly post a photo.
You're welcome, Kella. I look forward to reading your post, and also the post about the cherry trees. You do seem to have a lot of fruit trees in your neighbourhood, I remember all the foraging which took place last year.
You're welcome, Claire. I do enjoy passing on the awards as it shows people that I enjoy their blogs, but I understand that not everyone wants to take part. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your blog, and I look forward to reading many more posts.
Thanks, Natalie. It's my 20th wedding anniversary in July, I wonder if we share the same anniversary, ours is the 7th. I don't like the sound of the ear piercing kit, I had mine done in a shop without my mum's knowledge, but that's a whole other story. Well done on running the race for life, I never have, but I suppose I should really. My daughter took part in a similar fun run last year and she's only 11, she puts me to shame.
Whoops I must have read this post and then forgot to comment!
ReplyDeleteAnyway congratulations on the well deserved awards!
That's an interesting list you've done. Flighty xx
Hi Jo, huge thanks for the awards! gosh... (where's the speech I prepared?). Now just need to think of 7 random things to reveal to the world... Thank you! x
ReplyDeleteThanks, Flighty. It's the first time I've made such a list on the blog as I'm quite a private person, but I know I'm amongst friends so what the heck.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Shiny New Allotment Holder. I look forward to reading your post, and following your progress this year.