Wednesday’s Photos
Three Different Kinds of Apple Blossoms
All of a sudden, it’s apple blossom time in the Arrow Lakes region. In our mini-orchard, we have three varieties of apple trees: the Grafenstein, the Red Delicious and the Crab Apple. The Grafenstein apple tree blossoming first is also earliest to produce very delicious and juicy fruit. Unfortunately, they need to be consumed rather quickly, because they quickly become mealy and lose their crispiness. On the other hand, the Red Delicious produces somewhat harder apples but has the definite advantage of being excellent keepers. Just today my wife made the last apple cake with the very last batch of the crop. The crab apple produces very small fruit not suitable for eating, but its red flowers are truly magnificent.
By the way, on last week’s post, I must have insulted the poor little azalea bush by claiming that it is going to be last to bloom. Guess what, right behind the magnolia tree, it has taken second place in the rank order of my budding studies.
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 
I’ve had crab apple trees in my life (not at the present house though). They are beautiful, but those little apples are a pain when they fall and leave a mess everywhere! I’ve never had a “real” apple tree though. Lovely blossoms.
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I’m always happy to see apple blossoms, and this weekend saw some on old abandoned orchards, that are now overgrown and part of state forest land. I’ve never tried a Gravenstein, it’s only grown in a few places in NY, orchards that specialize in “heirloom” apples. But the popularity of the new cideries around here, is encouraging all sorts of varieties, because they no longer have to worry about whether an apple keeps, or ships well – – they’re grown for adding different flavors to hard cider.
These are nice photos you’ve taken!
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Hallo Peter, Äpfel sind mein Lieblingsobst. Das sind ja herrliche Blüten und wenn die Äpfel genau so gut schmecken wie die Blüten schön sind, dann lohnt sich die ganze Mühe und das warten. Gruss Wolfgang
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I am not really familiar with crab apples. Can’t one use them for anything? They are very beautiful though! I love fruit trees in bloom. They are flowering in Denmark as well now.
My Japanese azaleas are still sulking and don’t look anything as nice as last year. But the Rhodos show activity. Tomorrow I will have to make the next photo round. I want to watch them closely this year and document the development. It seems like warmer weather is coming for a longer period than just one day …
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Best wishes for your Japanese azaleas!
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Thank you, Peter!
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We have a crab apple in our side yard. Yes, the fruits make a mess but the deer seem to like them. Some folks like to make jelly from them, too.
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Wednesday’s Photos
Three Different Kinds of Apple Blossoms
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Out of these three variants of apple, I have only heard of red delicious. Probably someday you will be able to show us the fruit- apple. The flowers are pretty.
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Das ist ja eine wahre Pracht, Peter and your images are wonderful.
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We always made jelly from the crab apples, or pickled them; they were quite delicious. Of course, crab apples make wonderful weapons in childhood wars, too: small enough to cause no real damage, but quite throwable! I grew up knowing only red delicious apples for eating out of hand, but now I’ve lost my taste for them, and prefer other varieties. Their blossoms certainly are lovely, as are all three.
I can’t hear a mention of apple blossoms without remember Perez Prado’s 1955 hit, “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White.
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Nice video!
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Before seeing your comment I’d been reminded of an apple blossom song from a few decades earlier.
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Hi Peter.
Apple blossoms are beautiful. Thank you teaching me to know their differences. When we had a small garden, we do not many apple trees, but only one! This I have shown in my few posts. Flowers in the north are different than in “warm” countries.
Have a good day!
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Always so beautiful to see flowers in bloom. Excellent photos, Peter.
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Especially the third pic with its leaf- structure: Beautiful!
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Love your photos and your apple info, Peter. We have Gravensteins here in Sonoma- they are the first in the season. I remember crab apples being a handy thing to launch as a kid. 🙂 I love most any kind of apple but for me, the crisper the better.
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Thank you, Jane for your kind words. They are greatly appreciated. Best wishes! Peter
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The way you take your images of nature breathes a wave of new life right into my screen. So very beautiful, Peter. I want to reach out and grab the petals.
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Oh, you are so kind with your praise and appreciation, Luda. Thank you!!!
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I wish I had a garden big enough for apple trees. Do you make crab apple jelly with the crab apples?
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No, but when tree has grown a little bigger, it would be worth a try.
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Pretty! When do they yield apples? Most apple varieties in India start giving fruit around September.
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The apples blossoms are from the red delicious tree. They are harvested late in October. The apples true to their name are delicious and excellent keepers.
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