When I stepped out of my car this afternoon––back from a brief trip to NYC where I saw many wondrous things, which I will share over coming days––the first thing that I noticed was the pervasive aroma of the apple trees in bloom. What a marvelous welcome home!
My trees are antique varieties that only flower and bear fruit every other year. I was happy that when I got home, there was enough sun and warmth that the pollinators were busy in the flowers, from large bumble bees
to many different types of small pollinating insects, which you can see as tiny black dots in the sky. On a nice warm day during blossom season, my senses are engaged, from the sight of the pale white-pink blooms, to their heady scent, to the sound of buzzing insects flying from flower to flower.
I grew up near apple country upstate NY, and I remember being stupefied by the fragrance...I am distressed that I cannot call it up in sense memory -we are awash with Magnolia and Boxwood flowering at the same time and the sweetness is eye watering. I think remember apple blossoms as clean and slightly tart, with a middling sweet that lingered like a dream..much like a good Macintosh tastes.
ReplyDeletehi Deb, you're lucky to have all those rich, heady scents which we don't have here. You're correct in the clean scent of apple blossoms; I think of it as lightly sweet, pervasive but without the intensity of lilacs for instance.
ReplyDeleteOh, the apple blossoms are indeed a delight. You've captured them well. I picked lilacs first thing this morning and a peach colored tulip for the bouquet. Such a pleasure to make bouquets from the yard!
ReplyDeleteMaggie, my lilacs aren't open yet, but I'm still picking sweet scented narcissus. I look forward to the lilacs in a few days.
ReplyDeleteOur big Macintosh trees are shedding their blooms, too hot with high winds yesterday. But we have a dwarf crabapple named 'Tina" that is only about 6' high and slightly open and weeping. Every branch is absolutely covered with flowers and it is at nose height. I was working near that little tree yesterday and kept getting wonderful whiffs! You are right that it is a perfect welcome home! Can't wait to read about your trip.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad about the Macintosh, Linda, but the dwarf crabapple sounds beautiful. All the redcrabapples around here are blooming right now and it's a gorgeous sight.
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