Apple Tree

 

We bought our house, the house we still live in, in December of 1978.  That's a long story but I will jump to spring. We used to have a farm market on the edge of town. It was a new (in the 1970') red building with siding and a big front porch with white pillars. They sold plants in the spring and produce all summer and small gardening and farm tools and all kinds of stuff.  My favorite shopping time was spring when they would have bundles of asparagus on the counter - freshly picked.  

I stopped out there for something and an apple tree caught my eye. It was small and I could afford it. I did not know enough to keep the tag.  I pictured a big shady tree for future children to play under and large red apples to eat in the fall. 

It was an heirloom apple tree. Not sure if it was labeled dwarf, but it never got very tall.  The apples were early apples, green and a very thin skin. They were a little too tart for me, but not my husband who would pick them for him and the kids, then the grandkids, wash them and cut into wedges. 

It was delicate. If it snowed when the tree was thinking about blossoming, we would have no blossoms. And if it would snow sometime around the blossoming, maybe we would get apples and maybe we wouldn't. 

People in the know - my parents age or older than me, would stop and ask if they could buy apples. They would say what great applesauce and pie filling they made and tell me what their family called that variety. There were a few different names. 

One lady stopped early this summer. I told her, as I tell anyone who stops, come by anytime and pick from the tree. My husband composts the ground falls.  She took 2-3 and came back a few days later for 2 or 3 more. Finally they were ripe, according to her. 

Then my husband decided to trim a branch. When he cut it, you could see rot inside. He came and got me because more trimming would dramatically alter the tree. Well, he had to keep cutting and we discovered the rot went all the way into the trunk. 

He took the whole tree down and we looked up the lifespan.  The internet says it is about 20 years so we figure our 45 years was a bonus. (Wait while I gasp that I bought that tree 45 years ago). 

This corner of the yard looks very empty. I am glad I did not let any children climb that tree this year. I don't think we will plant another apple tree, the bees were not fun in the play yard.  

I will miss the shade, too.