Things that make a house a home

[andygates]

What makes a house a home?  For me it's not much, a cat and a teapot and an apple tree (I used to say "and lots of friends and family" but I've gotten used to this solo lark and enjoy the peace).  I wonder if it's what you're raised with?  Vertical meme transmission at its best.  For the last year, I've missed my apple tree: the small north-facing yard didn't look like it would grow anything or have the space for anything worth growing.  It would need a dwarf-stock espalier-trained tree, something good and native to handle the possible damp and gloom and scorching. 

Today I found a dwarf-stock espalier-trained Cox's Orange Pippin, two tiers, just perfect for my sunny wall.  The last year has proved that my assumptions about the garden were all false: Devon is a trump card over all growing conditions.  Play Devon on your hand, and slide Fecundity to max.  Weeds hip-high in February.  Wheat as a weed.  Slugs the size of ferrets.  If you look closely on a bottle of Pathclear, you'll see small print next to the claim, "Keeps paths weed-free for six months" reading, "Not applicable in Devon where only Biblical salting of the earth will slow anything down, and even then, keep a flymo handy."

So tomorrow I'm planting an apple tree.  This is the very best of domestic chores.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

What makes a Cox's Orange (which we have a good number of in the 2 acre orchard we lease/rent/whatever it's called in English when it's land and not living quarters)a Pippin, apart from a tendency to knock skeletons into very deep wells?

I got tired of wondering about Sam's extended blog silence, and figured it would show up here if it was something sinister. It didn't, and your apple tree caught my attention. Our house is full of apples, as it always is this time of year.

I hope you enjoy(ed) your tree planting.

-Jeanne

-Jeanne

[andygates.livejournal.com]

It's that when ripe, the pips go loose and you can hear them rattling.

Sam's extended absence *is* sinister. Ravens are garrulous gobshites: silence from them a bad sign.

[(Anonymous)]

I just googled your apple, and found it to be a synonym of our apple, which I have NEVER heard rattle. I feel I've been cheated out of something. Which just goes to show that I'm tilting towards the pessimistic, since I could be eagerly looking forward to shaking apples all winter, but I'm not. Much.

Should I be worried?
-Jeanne

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Leave 'em to ripen longer.

And probably, yeah.