Have I been slacking off lately?
On this anniversary of my first blog post, I am still here. Still exploring the pomacious fruit, and hoping to score some fresh (to me) varieties this season.
This pandemic year has not been a great one (for any of us), and I have had some other projects making demands on my attention. But for me, writing is a kind of balm and source of forward motion and hope.
To subscribers
For those who subscribe to this blog by email: I have not yet resolved the looming issue of how to keep those emails coming.
There may be interruptions in service, and at some point you may receive a notice about your subscription from an unfamiliar source.
Check back at the website if you do not hear anything for a while.
To all
Very best wishes for the coming year! When next you bite an apple, think of me.
I’m fairly new to your blog (barely pre-pandemic), but: thank you. The archives were invaluable as I selected which 20 varietals to plant. (You won my trust immediately when I discovered our shared love of Wickson apples.) I know it takes a lot of effort to keep writing year over year, but we all appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Josh! For me, writing is self-care, but it is news and comments from readers that keeps me going.
DeleteAnd it is especially flattering when people tell me I helped them to plan their orchards. What did you plant?
I planted:
ReplyDeleteArkansas Black
Ashmead's Kernel (weird growth pattern)
Belle de Boskeep
Crimson Gold
Wickson (x2, my favorite)
Baldwin
Black Limbertwig (struggling)
Black Oxford
Goldrush (x2, my kids' favorite)
Red Gravenstein (munched by goats, but recovering in a lopsided kind of way)
Hauer Pippin
Hudson’s Golden Gem
Hunt Russet (to replace a gopher-eaten tree)
King David (struggling)
Mendocino Cox (surprisingly pretty bark)
Northern Spy
Reine de Reinettes (eaten by gophers)
Rubinette
Spigold
Waltana (because everything else Etter touched is magic)
Winter banana (very, very vigorous)
And this winter I'm hoping to add a Yellow Transparent and a Karmijn de Sonnaville and retry the Reine de Reinettes. And probably some others, if I can convince my family to let me plant more. :) They claim I have enough already. But I mostly selected varieties that are keepers, which means I really just need more fridge space!
And I have two very old (probably pushing 100 years) unknown apples trees, one of which I think is a Gravenstein (ripe now and delicious). The other I'm starting to think was a volunteer (tip-bearing, right on the fence line, very late ripening, mediocre fruit).
Josh, those sound great! I wish you joy of your trees.
DeleteHere’s to many more. Hope I can supply you with more varieties for you to samplr again some time.
ReplyDeleteThanks, John!
DeleteJosh, I planted a yellow transparent apple a few years ago in order to fertilize my Gravenstein. This year it yielded the first five apples. Awful for fresh eating, at least to my taste. Grainy, lacking in both tartness or sweetness. However, I tried cooking a couple of them (just simmered with a bit of sugar) and they were delicious! I am looking forward to having enough to try them in pies and sauce.
ReplyDelete