We just got back from a week-long walking tour in the Cotswolds, UK (near Chipping Campden and Cirencester). I couldn't resist taking photos of some of the fruit trees etc.
Google photos album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/t87E.....m6XTdjek47
I was in North Dakota last month and took a picture of a fruiting shrub. The iPhone identifies it as chokeberry or aronia. It must be a very hardy plant because I’ve seen the temperature drop to -42 F there.
I also found deformed leaves on what my iPhone identified as hackberry. The suggestion was Hackberry nipplegall psyllid. I thought that the name was quite descriptive.
Dubyadee said
The iPhone identifies it as chokeberry or aronia.
Yes that is definitely aronia (Aronia melanocarpa). I have several of them, they grow really well here. I eat a handful of them every day.
I also have red aronia (Aronia brilliantissima). The berries are barely palatable, but very attractive in the fall! The leaves also turn bright red - thus the name "brilliantissima"! However once the birds discover the berries, they will be gone fast.
Aronias are described as extremely nutritious. That's good because, despite their huge productivity and easy care, they don't taste that great, IMHO. However, I can toss a few into a green salad or main dish and they aren't bad that way. I grow tons of them.
John S
PDX OR
I'm interested in many things here. Dave, how did you like the trip in general? Obviously, I like fruit, but I like walking across pretty countrysides, small towns, friendly historic culture, architecture etc. as well. My wife and I have talked about walking across the Cotswolds. We''ve seen the Rick Steves show of it.
Rooney gave me a variety of mountain ash that actually tastes good! I grafted it maybe 4 years ago. Not growing that fast because it is in partial shade. I only had a few because that's all that there were. I was shocked at how good they were.
John S
PDX OR
John S said
Dave, how did you like the trip in general? Obviously, I like fruit, but I like walking across pretty countrysides, small towns, friendly historic culture, architecture etc. as well. My wife and I have talked about walking across the Cotswolds. We''ve seen the Rick Steves show of it.
It was awesome. Such a beautiful area. You should definitely do it. We spent a week in London (on our own) and a week in the Cotswolds (guided tour). Kew Gardens (just outside London) was really cool also. I was impressed with all the pollinator meadows in the parks and open spaces around London, and in some agricultural fields in the Cotswolds. There is even a pollinator meadow across the street from Buckingham Palace: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uxaSag.....FRPrA7U6 Here's what it looked like when we were there:
England seems to be way ahead of the US in terms of support for pollinators in parks and in its practices.
Re: walking in the Cotswolds, most people seemed to be self-guided, perhaps following a route from a tour company, who also moves your bags from town to town so you just have to wear a daypack and navigate yourself to the next accommodation (similar to what is envisioned for the Columbia gorge). But we chose a guided walk because there is SO much history there, and I'd much rather have someone explain it while I'm seeing it vs. reading ahead of time or while on the trip. You spend 90% of the time walking through/next to farm fields, often with livestock in them. But the livestock are used to it and pretty much ignore you. You will go through a LOT of gates, which you must be careful to close. Although most gates are "kissing gates", designed so that people can pass through but animals cannot. There are also many stiles, where you step over the fence. And yes you will step in a sheep/cow pie now and then.
In terms of seeing fruit, the Cotswolds economy was originally based on wool and thus we saw many livestock fields but not many orchards. However most homes have at least one fruit tree, and there are small orchards near the towns. And there are many formal and informal gardens, which often have fruit growing in them. There are stone walls everywhere, so espalier trees are very common.
I'm still working on organizing my photos, I'll add a link once I've got a decent album put together.
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