Blossom

This weekend, it's half a year since Pippy died. And here we are, all locked away from the World. And still the seasons roll and the blackthorn blossoms in the lanes.  Pippy would have a story for this, of course.  I know blackthorn, despite its beautiful flowers, has a sinister reputation in folklore, possibly derived from the long sharp spines, a stab from which can turn septic because of the tendency to leave a splinter in the wound.  The wood is dense and hard, burning like coal, and traditionally used for walking sticks and cudgels. Also witches wands.

So here it is, Prunus spinosa:

In the garden, the cherry and the apple trees blossom.  Also Prunus

Same family, Rosaceae, different genus, Mallus: the apple. This one is a Cox's orange pippin.  A stumpy little thing, only about 4ft tall, but very fruitful last year, while the three other apple trees in the plot seemed to concentrate on getting tall.  Come on, Pippin, the rhubarb is almost taller!

Lush, ain't it?  Plenty of room to hide elephant's eggs (I keep looking).