Wow! The colours of the medlar in autumn is incredible!
I have never eaten the fruit. Each year I store it, ready to eat, and never get around to it.
I am not sure if it is the fact that you have to let it get to the point of rotting before you eat it that puts me off?
However, I wait until the spring and the big flowers probably make up for what I may have missed.
I checked the walnut trees a week ago to see if the nuts were ready.
The tree still showed the green fruit intact with no signs of releasing its nut from the fruit.
I checked again yesterday, and within just one week, the tree had started to drop its fruit. The green fruit had split open, and some of the nuts were lying on the ground. Others were just about to fall.
I quickly gathered and picked all the nuts before an opportunist squirrel or mouse had the opportunity.
They are now all drying in the warmth of the utility room, to be eventually stored in our outside store, ready for eating at Christmas!
Even though October is drawing to a close, on warm days the bees are VERY busy.
If you look closely at the ivy, you can see it covered in insects busy at work on the ivy flowers. Not only honey bees, but wasps, flies and bumble bees. All going about their work gathering or consuming the produce of the ivy flower.
The Ivy flower is quite easily overlooked, but is a valuable source of nectar and pollen for the bees. Especially at this time of year when there is not much more forage around. This is one of the last chances for the bees to gather last minute stores.
Today has probably been the first chilly morning, the temperature is beginning to turn. However, it is dry and sunny, so a chance to gather in some of the nuts.
We have a small young nut orchard with cultivated varieties. Primarily, hazel nuts, but also walnuts and sweet chestnuts.
Before Mr & Mrs Squirrel take my hazel nuts, I thought I would get in there first and pick them.
The walnuts and chestnuts aren’t quite ready yet, so will leave them for another day.
