This tree is not dead yet

Some decades ago we planted a Cambridge Gage. One of the branches started looking sick and was first pruned, then, the next year cut off completely.

A few years later, one very wet summer, it fell over so that one branch was touching the ground..

We froze as many of the greengages as possible, thinking the tree would die.

But still it cropped and either I picked them or if I was on holiday Ruth did.
Insects started eating the dead wood where the sick branch had been cut off, but the other side of the tree was fine.

Last summer was a good year for plums and it had a heavy crop. It fell over so that it was flat on the ground, the hollow trunk cracked across. I propped up as many drooping branches as possible so that the gages could ripen. And decided not to cut it down until Spring. Not much hope.

But now look at it.

It needs some pruning work, but (weather permitting) I should still get fruit.

harvesting apples

Today in the garden we picked apples. We got a huge one that weighed thirteen and a half ounces. It was a Bramley cooking apple. Tom climbed the tree to get the best apples. Tom picked the last Laxton superb and a red Worcester and ate them,

A busy day in the garden

Today we looked for butterflies in the garden we saw peacocks ,red admirals, speckled woods, painted lady, comma ,  and cabbage white.

Tom helped to make a path through the nettles.
Then Tom picked figs and blackberries while Granny cut down the long brambles that were trying to fill the whole garden.

Yesterday Emily helped to pick plums, Tom picked more today.
Then Tom made some crumble to go with the blackberries.

Outside the garden

We went bird watching we spotted a buzzard while we were driving.

Then at Burton Mere RSPB Granny and Tom saw

Mallard ducks

Grey heron

Coots

Moorhens and their chicks

Little egret

Canada geese

Avocets

Lapwings

Black tailed godwit

Blue tit

Robin

Wood pigeon

Tom's favourite was the moorhen chicks. One of them was walking over a lily-pad.

While we walked along the path we saw a lot of bird poo all splatted under some trees. There were lots or blackberries, Tom ate some. We saw brown dragonflies. In the trees there were a wooden woodpecker and two very big wooden bats.

When we got back Tom looked in Granny's garage to see why the car had to stay outside. There were swallow's nests and lots more poo. 

Granny's washing line

Sometimes there is washing on the washing line. But one day when granny walked into the kitchen she saw the line waving about because a big bird had just taken off from the clothes prop. Dave found a picture of a buzzard

Granny didn't see it properly before it flew away but that might have been what she saw.

The last week she was in the kitchen making jam at half past nine, just before it started to get dark. There was a big owl on the clothes prop, with feathers sticking up like ears. It stayed there looking in while she got out her bird book to see what it was.

Picture from RSPB guides

She read about it and found that they are usually hard to see.

Funny leaves

Emily was helping to pick blackcurrants and noticed that the leaves on some of the bushes were all crinkly.
Granny found out that it was currant blister aphid.
Picture from RHS website

Rhubarb

The rhubarb is growing well. Emily and Tom like pulling stalks to take home. Emily remembers that last year I put the leaves in my potato trench as green manure.

There are newts and frogs wandering round the garden. Bit dangerous sitting on the concrete drive or path though, I moved one frog from near the garage door onto the grass, then had to move him off the path.