This weekend Abundance picked greengages in Ealing.

Then we were called in to the garden in Bedford Park which always kicks off the apple season in Chiswick. Like Sunderland, sprinting with their ballot boxes to be the first to declare at the elections, Gilly and Jonathan’s two apple trees – Arthur Turner and Gala – always ripen weeks before everyone else. Their apples, picked with the help of three little girls, dressed as blue and pink fairies (or maybe princesses?) went off to become cider.

Meanwhile a crab apple tree that was offered for picking in our mailshot to the first comer drew from the woodwork a further 5 similar trees, with willing pickers, so we have been sweeping our email brooms and singing ‘matchmaker matchmaker’ as we fit picker to tree. Hopefully, all around happy pickers are making crab apple jelly and maybe offering the tree owner a jar or two. (or even keeping some for Abundance to offer at the Apple Day on 4th October…)

So a busy weekend all round. September 2015 looks like being quite tough!