Harvest Time

As any good landowner should, today I summoned the peasants and their beats of burden and stripped the fruit trees.

Enthusiasm did seem a little low to start with.....

.....although some did seem keen to please.

Work eventually got properly underway and the job was done.

In the tradition of all harvests, the sun shone and I think on the whole a good time was had by all.

My plum crop was very mingy - although the birds had something to do with this, it's mainly down to the weed thing choking the tree - my tree surgeon will have a lot to do this year!  My pear crop on the other hand is awesome.  To put this in perspective, this is one of the trees that Chris "pruned" rather thoroughly.  2 years ago, when I had totally forgotten it existed, I found 1 pear.  Last year I got 3.  This year there were also half a dozen wasp bitten windfalls that I kicked into the bushes.

The apples of course have done very well - I shall be struggling to give them away!

2 huge pans of chutney made a start this afternoon.  I have now piled all the leftover apples up in the utility room - after giving the peasants some, Rosemary a lot, and putting aside a bag for one of the chaps at work I still have more than I know what to do with.  Rosemary across the street has given me some blackberries from her garden, so I shall make jam at the weekend.  For the rest I think I'd better try and find an irresistible apple sauce recipe.