Catching Up

 The summer has flown by and although this blog has been idle since bloom, the orchard has been a bustling place.  Spraying, mowing, thinning and summer pruning have taken up much of my time, while the apples have grown and the plums have ripened.  Rather than spending what feels like precious minutes or hours this time of year, writing about the past several months in the orchard I have put together a photo journal of sorts.  As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words, so this will by far me my longest post yet! 

Fruit set, the miracle of pollination

Baby Pears

A freshly mowed orchard

"Silver Tree" Good coverage of Kaolin Clay

Almost time to thin

Adolescent Pear.  "They just grow up so fast"

Thinning Time

Infested apples are thinned and  removed from the orchard

Sometimes you just can't pick one

Prune plums

The first plums

So many plums

Summer Bounty

Apples are getting big!

Freedom.   A very prolific variety with beautiful fruit

Showing some blush

Paula Reds.  These will come off the tree within the month

Clapp Pears.  Starting to color up, but they still need a few more months.