Monday 19 October 2015

Apples And Pears

I'm not talking about Cockney rhyming slang, I mean the fruit.


One thing I love about growing my own fruit and veg is having enough to share with friends and family. Sometimes, I'm lucky enough to be on the receiving end. These apples and pears were gifted to me by my next door neighbour. I've been supplying them, and many others, with tomatoes this year as I've had more than enough to share around so when they came to harvest their apples and pears, discovering that they'd got a bumper harvest, they were generous enough to share some with me.

I don't grow pears myself but I've got two small apple trees, a red variety called Gloster and a green variety called Golden Delicious, neither of which has fruited at all this year so I'm very pleased to have been gifted this fruit. I'm not sure of the varieties but the pears look very much like Conference.

My two small apple trees have been moved out of their containers this year and planted in to the ground, perhaps this is the reason why they didn't fruit, so I'm hoping they'll be happier where they are now with room to spread their roots and I'm hoping for bumper crops from them next year.

30 comments:

  1. That is really nice sharing your produce, I like poached pears or poached apples, so simple x

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    1. I love being able to grow enough to share around. I remember the pear and almond cake you made at the weekend looking very tasty so I may put some of the pears in to a cake.

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  2. I call that a good share. I thought that Golden Delicious is, as the name implies, a yellow colour. Fingers crossed that they do better next year. Flighty xx

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    1. I think it's great when we can exchange produce in this way. Yes, I suppose Golden Delicious is more yellow than green, definitely not red though, though you can get red delicious. I really do hope my apples do better next year.

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  3. It's lovely to get the gift of fruit from your neighbours. Our pear three produced a reasonable crop this year and we have loads of apples. Still lots of them to be picked too.

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    1. I'm always pleased to receive fresh fruit and veg. Mick's uncle also brought me round some pears this morning, along with some other veggies which we haven't grown this year, parsnips included. Glad to hear that your apples and pears have done well this year too.

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  4. That's lovely Jo. We had lots of pears this year which we shared & cooking apples too except Mike managed to give all of them away before I got any!! x

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    1. Oh no, I don't think you've quite got Mike trained yet. I'm always pleased when people share their produce with me and I'm so happy when I've got enough of my own to share too.

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  5. a great harvest Jo from your neighbour x

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    1. Their trees were literally dripping with fruit, they've had a very good year.

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  6. We have probably had the best pear harvest ever in respect to the trees on the plot. Usually if we get one or two we are lucky. I think the late flowering this year helped.

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    1. There's always pros and cons with the weather, it seems our late spring has been great for lots of fruit. I do enjoy pears so I'm really pleased that my neighbours have shared their bounty.

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  7. Some of the best apples I have seen this year are "feral" ones growing at the sides of roads, so I reckon the key to success must be neglect!

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    1. That's my opinion in lots of cases. Plants seem happy to spring up all over the place, nowhere we'd have planted them though, yet the ones we tend and nurture can sometimes fail. I definitely think that Mother Nature knows best.

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  8. I hope that your apples do well for you next year. In the meantime gifted apples are always lovely aren't they! I am not a pear fan so cannot say the same about them, but I am sure that you will enjoy them! xx

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    1. I'm hoping that I've made the right decision getting the apple trees planted in the ground, time will tell. Gifted fruit is wonderful, I do love pears so I'll definitely enjoy them.

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  9. Oh wow, what a wondeful gift. How lovely to be able to exchange fruit and veg instead of money :)

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    1. I love this bartering type system we've got going. My neighbour's tomatoes let them down this year, as well as courgettes, so I was able to help there and I've got some wonderful fruit in return.

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  10. How lucky to have a neighbour that is so generous with their fruit! Looks like you are in for some good eating in the coming weeks. And hopefully both you and I will see some apples coming from our own backyards next year!

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    1. My neighbour has been very generous, it's great that we're able to exchange produce in this way. Fingers crossed for us both next year, I'd love to had a decent apple harvest.

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    1. I'm so lucky that my neighbours share their produce, much better to pass it on than let it go to waste.

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  12. It's lovely to share excess produce isn't it. I really liked planting out a couple of my pot grown trees, it felt like releasing them into the wild! I have a plum that I did that with a couple of years ago, so I'm hoping for a harvest from it next year. This year there was just the one plum! CJ xx

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    1. I love having enough fruit and veg to share around and people are always so grateful for it. I've planted out a plum tree too, I didn't get any fruit from it this year so let's hope they both do well for us next year.

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  13. Bartering is always the best way, far more friendly. Those pears look delicious.

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    1. Bartering is a great system, I'm always happy to exchange things. The pears are lovely, it's something I don't buy very often so they're a real treat.

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  14. Hi Jo - it's been a busy week and I'm only just beginning to catch up!!!

    I think it so lovely to share any excess home growns with family and neighbours it just makes such good sense.

    All the best Jan

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    1. I've had lots of weeks like that this year and I don't think they're over yet. The next best thing to eating your own home grown fruit and veg is sharing it with others.

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  15. Swapping with friends is one of the best aspects of gardening Jo :) They look most delicious.

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    1. They are delicious. I love swapping with friends, it makes total sense.

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