Blossom - Morettini

The first flowers of Morettini have just unfurled, heralding Spring! A sight to cheer the heart!

Full blossom!

Blossom - Pixie

Reliable and beautiful as ever, Pixie.

Blossom - Egremont Russet

Also having a good year, Egremont russet. This cordon has taken many years to spur up and produce consistent blossom, which hasn't always translated in to a good crop. Maybe this year it will settle down into reliable production.

Blossom - Sunset

The Sunset cordon is beautiful this year, absolutely covered in blossom this year, hopefully providing lots of pollen for Irish Peach and Vistabella which are also in full blossom concurrently.

Blossom - Vista Bella

Vista Bella flowering well in a non 'biennial' year.

Blossom Winter Nelis

Blossom - Devoe

Devoe with Dr Jules, Stanta Claus and Winter Nellis behind.

Red Comice: blossom

I planted this one as I particularly wanted decorative foliage as the espalier is in my front garden. I later grafted on another layer of Max Red Bartlett, which also has red-tinted foliage and pink flowers (of more later). Both flower usually much later than the normal varieties. It's more delicate in growth than the normal Comice, but is spurring up nicely now and the growth is attractive and healthy.

Pitmaston Pineapple: Blossom

A slightly strange variety but one I personally like a lot. This is a nice maiden on MM106, probably surplus to requirements as I have another as a step-over that fruits well for our needs on M27.

Howgate Wonder: Blossom

I grafted 4 of this variety on MM106 with a view to growing them for juice when we shared a smallholding. Following the vandalism of the fence and destruction of Pomona's second orchard by the evil sheep and shepherd, she is now left with all of them surplus to requirements. 

St Edmund's Pippin: Blossom

Lovely large blossom, sadly mostly on tips. I'm endeavoring to grow it as a cordon, we shall see how it goes.

Pixie: Blossom

A favourite variety. Nice blossom, compact growth, free spurring. We finished ate our last one on March 1st, still crisp and flavoursome. 

Sunset: Blossom

Rather disappointing inflorescences this year, as Sunset usually produces and sets quite an abundance. A little behind the other varieties just described.

Blossom: Sturmer Pippin

This one is something of a mystery. It was ordered as Spartan, but when it eventually produced fruit, the latter were hard, brownish green and almost impossible to ripen. More detailed examination of shape, eye, bowl etc do show features that all match with SP. Blossom dates seem to match those given for SP in the literature too.  I've now reduced the cordon to a couple of feet, and will graft a more useful variety on to the extension growth next year. 

Red James Grieve: Blossom

Red James Grieve, nearly in full bloom today (April 17). 

Irish Peach: Blossom

The first into bloom for me this year, opening it's first buds on April 4th, well ahead of any other apple this year. Luckily it seems to have quite a long flowering season, and has managed to overlap with some of it's neighbours, so hopefully something will set.

Winter Nelis: Blossom

Bunyard has little to say about Winter Nelis (listed without the extra 'L') other than to give a number of alternative names: Nelis d'Hiver, Coloma d'Hiver and Bonne de Malines. 

Winter Nelis spurs and flowers very freely, with a good number of flowers per panicle. The number that eventually set can be a little disappointing, and spurs need regular thinning to avoid congestion. Buds broke April 8th, full flower April 11.

Dr Jules Guyot: Blossom

This variety has never done particularly well here, only producing blossom a couple of times over the 10 years or so since planting. Probably one of the most disappointing fruit varieties I've grown (along with the Sturmer Pippin which was sent in error by a well-known nursery). My dim recollection of the last time it produced any fruit was that the crop wasn't even particularly early.

The best thing I can say in favour of Dr Jules is that the young fruits are a very decorative dark red. 

Bud break April 4th, full flower 8th, 50% petal drop 12th)

Not quite so well synchronised...

Second Pear cordon. From left Winter Nellis, Dr Jules Guyot (with Santa Claus and Devoe extensions) Glou Morceau and Quince Meeches Prolific. The spaces in between rows are vegetable beds that are quite productive despite root competition (and the horrible, thin topsoil that sits on a layer of water-logged sand and gravel).