Tree Following: February update

Still no real signs of life, Spring isn’t quite here yet.

In case you haven’t seen my previous tree following posts, this is a crab apple tree and I’ve been tracking it over the last year, taking photos every month. For more details and lots of other trees, head to the Loose and Leafy blog

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Tree Following: January update

Well, here we are again, happy New Year – hope we all had a good Christmas break.

I was hoping to see a few tiny signs of life in the old crab apple tree, but nothing yet, maybe next month… But I have managed to take some photos of a lovely blue sky so that is a bonus.

Roll on Spring.

Details of the tree following challenge can be found on the Loose & Leafy blog here and if you want to see how my tree was looking with leaves, blossom and fruit, feel free to scroll back through my tree following category posts.

Tree following: December update

Another month has gone by, how did that happen?! The crab apple tree is looking very sombre and sparse now winter is here, not more than a handful of leaves left in place and they won’t last much longer.

If you want more details of the Tree Following challenge and to have a look at a wide variety of trees that are being tracked, head over to the Loose and Leafy blog. If you click on my Tree Following category you can see my original post in March, as well as the monthly updates to compare the difference.

Tree Following: November update

Not many leaves left on the tree now, and all the crab apples are long gone.

If you want more details of the Tree Following challenge and to have a look at a wide variety of trees that are being tracked, head over to the Loose and Leafy blog. If you click on my Tree
Following category you can see my original post in March, as well as the monthly updates to compare the difference.

Tree Following: October update

Oh dear, our tree is looking just a bit threadbare now, well past the glory days of Spring!

We still have a scattering of apples on our excuse for a lawn – I did try and collect enough to do something with them but they really didn’t look very appetising and certainly didn’t look as glossy and appetising as those I’ve seen in photos! So I’m afraid the ones I’d picked up ended up going to the compost bin instead of being transformed into crab apple jelly as they didn’t look healthy enough to want to eat.

If you want more details of the Tree Following challenge and to have a look at a wide variety of trees that are being tracked, head over to the Loose and Leafy blog. If you click on my Tree
Following category you can see my original post in March, as well as the monthly updates to compare the difference.

Tree Following: September update

We’ve had a few weeks now of trying to avoid standing on fallen apples on the path and grass – as mentioned in my last update, this is probably my least favourite time for this crab apple tree.

It is beginning to look a bit bedraggled now, past its prime.

We have collected two boxes of the apples with a view to making something with them – but no great inspiration yet, crab apple jam doesn’t appeal much. If you have any ideas or recipes, please feel free to put them in the comments…

If you want more details of the Tree Following challenge and to have a look at a wide variety of trees that are being tracked, head over to the Loose and Leafy blog. If you click on my Tree
Following category you can see my original post in March, as well as the monthly updates to compare the difference.

Tree Following: August update

The year seems to be flying by (did I say that last month too?) Our crab apple tree is now full of apples which are beginning to go red and many of them are now falling.

I love this tree most of the year, the blossom weeks are my favourite time, but I have to say that we are coming to the time when it is not quite as well loved… tiny, wormy little crab apples all over the path, getting trodden into the house with the occasional one falling on my head, hmm not so much fun.

Here are three I picked up this morning:

We still haven’t decided what to try making with them, but some sort of chilli jam might be an idea as I’ve got lots of chilli peppers growing this year too.

If you want more details of the Tree Following challenge and have a look at a wide variety of trees that are being tracked, head over to the Loose and Leafy blog. If you click on my Tree
Following category you can see my original post in March, as well as the monthly updates to compare the difference.

Tree Following – July update

It is that tree following time of the month again – it does seem to be coming round faster as the months go on!

The changes don’t seem quite as obvious this month, plenty of crab apples on the tree but still very green. It all looks very healthy which is good – I think hacking it back quite drastically a few years ago did the tree some favours, it looks better for it.

If you want more details of the Tree Following challenge and have a look at a wide variety of trees that are being tracked, head over to the Loose and Leafy blog. If you click on my Tree
Following category you can see my original post in March, as well as the monthly updates to compare the difference.

Tree Following – June update

The blossom has all gone now and our crab apple tree is really bushing out, such a contrast from my first ‘tree following’ entry in March.

This month, I have managed to capture a glimpse of the little sparrow who chirps away from the tree or up on the telephone line nearer the house – he is a very noisy bird, never shuts up. I’m not sure if they may have been nesting under the eaves this year. I haven’t managed to spot as much activity as we did with the blue tits who nested and fledged a little brood at the back of the house but there has been a lot of commotion and to-ing and fro-ing so it is possible.

The crab apples are beginning to sprout, any ideas for doing something productive with them, please let me know as they are very bitter to taste. I’m not the cook in our family so I’ll pass on any ideas – we’ve not really been keen on the idea of jams/jelly as we probably wouldn’t eat much of it.

If you want more details of the Tree Following challenge and have a look at a wide variety of trees that are being tracked, head over to the Loose and Leafy blog. If you click on my Tree Following category you can see my original post in March, as well as the monthly updates to compare the difference.

 

Tree Following – May update

The blossom season has started! We are lucky enough to live in the Vale of Evesham, and the Blossom Trail is all around us. And our crab apple tree is no exception. 

This tree following idea is genius, otherwise the changes every month just pass by almost
without noticing. I’m enjoying reading about other people’s trees and seeing the changes recorded every month. If you want to know more about the tree following challenge, head over to the Loose & Leafy blog for more details. If you click on my Tree Following category you can see my original post in March, as well as April’s update to compare the difference.