What with the half term school holidays and the days getting shorter, I haven’t been doing a lot in the garden this week. Or more accurately, anything. That is not to say there has been no activity.
I’m so pleased the onion sets I planted a couple of weeks or so ago have started to grow leaves. On the other hand, I wasn’t so ecstatic this morning to see a hole in the ground with the more recently planted onion sets. Maybe they don’t need to be covered just yet, so I can keep an eye on this area better.
However, I completely forgot about the hole and its possible significance once we were on the road for what has turned out to be a splendid day in the Helmsley area.
Having got a year’s entry to Helmsley Walled Garden, following our visit earlier in the month, I was keen to have another look before the garden closed for the winter. And I was glad we went because in the municipal car park there was a tree shedding its apples with no one seemingly taking any interest in the fallen fruit.
Except for me. Many of them were in fine condition, no doubt because they had only just come of the tree. Shame about the litter, though!
I guess the apples are eaters and if so that half bag of them will keep me going in my lunch box. As for the more bruised, I’ll have to get my thinking cap on.
I’d also be interested to know what there ‘fruit’ are on a pine tree in the Walled Garden are.
Growing out of chaos 
Isn’t that tree a Yew? (Taxus Boccata?)
If so, the tree will be a Female as those are the fruit.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/18001/Taxus-baccata/Details
Great! Thank you 😊
They are such a beautiful tree – pity they are poisonous, so no good for my edible garden….,
Awesome update thank you for sharing have a blessed day Helen
Same to you, Linda.
Enjoy the unexpected windfall of apples! You could make jelly from the fallen apples, or apple butter, or use them in cakes!
As for the pine tree – it’s a yew, thus the red fruit.
That all sounds absolutely delicious!
I think lots of people must be making preserves at the moment, in view of the difficulty I had in getting sugar this morning!
My sister spent a year in England and said it was such a pity that the fruit was dropping on the ground all over the countryside and nobody picking it up. She was constantly coming home with berries and apples and making fruit. Are people worried about possible poisoned sprays, or are they just used to perfect fruit from the supermarket?
I guess people just aren’t aware that they can help themselves or think the fruit belongs to someone/they would be doing something wrong by taking it. It is a shame to see fruit going to waste but I’m glad I’ve realised I can use it!