Apple Blossom

I have two trees one had absoloutley masses of flowers on it. The other is just finishing now and I would guess it only had about 1/5 of flowers compared to the first one. It could be a lean apple year.

Thanks, Trees! A 'lean' year - more like a 'nothing' year by the looks of it!! Ah, the joys of gardening ...
I never get round to recording when things (should) happen - I'll open my Perpetual Calendar *now* and make a note about apple blossom! Thanks again ...

I had no plums at all last year, probably be the same this year as well.

I think I will buy and try a pear.

I had quite a haul from both types of apple last year, although they were a bit small - grotty summer, I suspect! I don't have all that much room so my 'patio apple' planted into the ground is just about the right size. If I wanted another fruit tree I'd have to replace the apple! Funny how a garden is always too big until you get interested, then it's always too small!

Here where I live all flowering trees of any species are going "great guns"! Even some Horsechesnut trees are in flower as well as some Hawthorn (Mayflower).

I don't have any trees myself but I have seen trees (Apple & Pear) in full flower in allotments in this town. With the lovely April we've been having there should be a good crop this year. No frost is forecast for the next week at least, so, unless we have a very hot, dry summer, all fruit crops should do well this year.

Just one more thing just occurred to me, I haven't seen many bees yet this year but I've seen more butterflies in the last couple of weeks than all last summer!

Yes, Balcony, I have to agree about the butterflies - I seem to have had one or two in the garden each time I've gone outside. I'll be over-run (over-flown?) with them when the Butterfly Bush comes into flower!

If apple trees carry a bumper crop of fruit one year, they often carry a much smaller crop the next year. Once in this two year cycle, it can be tricky to get them back into a more even cycle

Thanks Andrew - I think 'smaller' will equal '4' this year!

I've decided I must post more questions; then I can chat with people without hijacking someone else's question or getting told off for going off topic!!

I was just starting a new blog when notification of your input arrived, Andrew, but you're such a stalwart of GoY that I gave it up to reply to you (but you can't see my expression, can you!?! [Evil laugh]).

Seriously, perhaps - if next year seems to promise a good harvest - it might be worth me pinching off half of the developing fruit to see if I can regularise things again. Anyone have any thoughts on that idea?