Had a marathon session in the park this morning, getting everything ready for the "launch" of the Heritage Trail (the main result of the Heritage Lottery Fund grant), which is happening this weekend. Hope we don't get too much rain to spoil the fun... this morning we were clearing yet another path, from encroaching wild raspberries, and making sure all the path markers are in the right places.
Back when I was a teenager I spent one late summer/autumn apple picking fruit for Dan Neuteboom http://realenglishfruit.co.uk/ and it was there I came across Spartan apples ... delicious and absolutely beautiful on the tree ... he grew them as small trees that we could pick without ladders.
edited to say, having read further down on the gardenfocused link it goes on to say that. The problem with many apples in the shops is that they are picked too soon.
I suppose much of our fruit is picked too soon, sadly, only I don't associate that as happening with apples. Good point. They sound like incredible apples - now to hunt some down...
IMHO Spartan isn't tart, it's lovely and sweet. It's the only apple I've eaten straight from the tree and said " WOW " out loud, even though I was alone.
Sounds like my kind of apple Hosta. Never seen or heard of it 'til now though. Dos it grow on a very large tree, do you know and can it be stored, I wonder...?
I'm not sure if it stores . It's only available in shops for a brief season, so my guess is probably not. Tree size is dictated by root stock, so , again I guess, it might be available in a range of sizes. Worth hunting out though.
Had a marathon session in the park this morning, getting everything ready for the "launch" of the Heritage Trail (the main result of the Heritage Lottery Fund grant), which is happening this weekend. Hope we don't get too much rain to spoil the fun... this morning we were clearing yet another path, from encroaching wild raspberries, and making sure all the path markers are in the right places.
Never seen Spartan here or in Belgium. Still looking for a good cooker to plant.
Dove that looks very similar to Possum's kit - rolling mat, seaweed, rice, chopsticks and seasonings to start you off. LG - I once had a sushi lesson from the Japanese lady in the cookery group. It involved a lot of standing around fanning the rice so it cooled but no complicated techniques so try a kit and maybe a small recipe book of all the different kinds of sushi and rolled rice thingies.
Been out to the SM while their tyre place next door put 4 new ones on Sally. When OH went to collect her hey told him she needs to go back to have her wheels tracked and prevent further uneven wear. Why wouldn't they just do that automatically? Doh!
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
That was kind of him, flumpy. Glad you're having a good time Obelixx - 15 was as high as it got here today! It's only hanging on to double figures most nights too this month. Windy again, but not as wet as it's been recently - a few showers, although the drizzly stuff is back on again now. A joiner friend of mine said that decorators/painters often give walls a coat of white paint to highlight lumps and bumps and holes. I was doing exactly that in a previous house when he told me. I'm sure Hosta will correct me if I'm wrong! Hosta - I don't know if my apples are Spartan - it was someone here who had suggested it. I've never really thought about it though. I've taken a look at a few sites, and mine don't seem to be so dark skinned, and they definitely aren't supersweet. I like them though [even though I don't like apples that much] so I guess that's all that matters! They seem to do well in colder areas, so perhaps that's why it was suggested as the variety. AuntyR - what a drag re your Dad's recovery. The lack of joined up thinking is crazy. Liri - keeping fingers and toes crossed for the weather for you. Did you get your tennis the other day Dove? I'm not sure I saw if you did.... Felt much better today - not shivery, and not feeling so sick. Not prune to sickness , so I don't know where I've got that, although my colleague's little boy has had the same.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hiya Fairy, The Spartan which grew in a former client's garden had a lovely dark red skin but very white flesh. I've never tasted anything like it. It's as cold here as it is with you up there. I hate it. The heating is on at night now. I've just been cutting some grass and my hands are freezing. I've rather foolishly agreed to go into work at 7am tomorrow to take a " hire van " to another branch where our store manager will be waiting to bring me back.
Mine have crisp flesh which is usually white, but this year, they have a bit of red 'bleeding' into it. There's one or two which are dark skinned, but they're mostly a rich red rather than being really dark like the photos I saw. Nice anyway. Not needed heating at night, apart from Monday when I felt unwell and couldn't get warm. I just have it on for ten or fifteen mins in the morning. It's not been great during the day - wind chill. This is when we usually get some really nice weather, sunny and dry but cool at night and morning, so it's a wee bit disappointing. Do they pay you the same for that [van depositing] ? I'd quite enjoy that
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
Had a marathon session in the park this morning, getting everything ready for the "launch" of the Heritage Trail (the main result of the Heritage Lottery Fund grant), which is happening this weekend. Hope we don't get too much rain to spoil the fun... this morning we were clearing yet another path, from encroaching wild raspberries, and making sure all the path markers are in the right places.
@dappledshade: Spartan apples ripen in October, and are best eaten straight from the tree (as Hosta has discovered). You can store them for a while but they become less crisp if you do so. https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/apple-trees/spartan
I've given up on Tricyrtis, LG and Joyce, with great reluctance - too many slugs. But it sounds as if it would be worth trying them in a pot.
Great link.
I've actually never eaten a Cox's Orange Pippin...
Dove that looks very similar to Possum's kit - rolling mat, seaweed, rice, chopsticks and seasonings to start you off. LG - I once had a sushi lesson from the Japanese lady in the cookery group. It involved a lot of standing around fanning the rice so it cooled but no complicated techniques so try a kit and maybe a small recipe book of all the different kinds of sushi and rolled rice thingies.
Been out to the SM while their tyre place next door put 4 new ones on Sally. When OH went to collect her hey told him she needs to go back to have her wheels tracked and prevent further uneven wear. Why wouldn't they just do that automatically? Doh!
Obelixx - 15 was as high as it got here today! It's only hanging on to double figures most nights too this month. Windy again, but not as wet as it's been recently - a few showers, although the drizzly stuff is back on again now.
A joiner friend of mine said that decorators/painters often give walls a coat of white paint to highlight lumps and bumps and holes. I was doing exactly that in a previous house when he told me. I'm sure Hosta will correct me if I'm wrong!
Hosta - I don't know if my apples are Spartan - it was someone here who had suggested it. I've never really thought about it though. I've taken a look at a few sites, and mine don't seem to be so dark skinned, and they definitely aren't supersweet. I like them though [even though I don't like apples that much] so I guess that's all that matters! They seem to do well in colder areas, so perhaps that's why it was suggested as the variety.
AuntyR - what a drag re your Dad's recovery. The lack of joined up thinking is crazy.
Liri - keeping fingers and toes crossed for the weather for you.
Did you get your tennis the other day Dove? I'm not sure I saw if you did....
Felt much better today - not shivery, and not feeling so sick. Not prune to sickness , so I don't know where I've got that, although my colleague's little boy has had the same.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It's as cold here as it is with you up there. I hate it. The heating is on at night now.
I've just been cutting some grass and my hands are freezing.
I've rather foolishly agreed to go into work at 7am tomorrow to take a " hire van " to another branch where our store manager will be waiting to bring me back.
Not needed heating at night, apart from Monday when I felt unwell and couldn't get warm. I just have it on for ten or fifteen mins in the morning. It's not been great during the day - wind chill. This is when we usually get some really nice weather, sunny and dry but cool at night and morning, so it's a wee bit disappointing.
Do they pay you the same for that [van depositing] ? I'd quite enjoy that
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...