Finding Lost Apples

About a week ago I discovered an Apple tree hidden in the garden. There was a huge overgrown climbing Rose next to it and I’d missed the Apples that were up high until recently. After cutting down the rose, I could get to the Apples. I’m pretty sure that the Apples are an eating variety but they do taste a little sharp. I asked the previous owner what variety the Apples were but she couldn’t even remember planting it. So I’m still none the wiser. If anyone can name the variety, please let me know.

The Apple tree is planted right next to a Crab Apple tree. Infact, it’s so close that it looks like they were planted in the same hole. Sometimes people to do this to ensure good pollination but it’s a bit messy for my ‘neat freak’ tastes. There is another Crab Apple in the garden in a different location so I might try to remove the one that’s close to the Apple later on.

While I was harvesting the Apples a woman came over who works in a building opposite. She said she had seen me in the garden and was itching to come and talk to me about what I was going to do with the garden. She said she had looked at the garden for many years and felt sad that no-one was looking after it. Then a whirlwind of activity started and things began to happen. She was a fruit grower too and she suggested growing Asian Pears as apparently they do very well in Oregon. And she also suggested that I buy some seed from The Territorial Seed Company. She said they are a nice family-owned business. So I’ll be checking them out. Nothing like a recommendation to spur me on to buy seed!

I just love the way that gardening brings people together. I actually prefer being in my front garden than the back garden right now because every time I’m out there someone will stop and talk to me. And I always learn something, be it a tip on how to look after something or just a name to a nameless plant.

Category: Growing Fruit     Tagged: ,

9 Comments on “Finding Lost Apples”

  1. It’s really hard to tell from the photos, but they could be Gravenstein. If so, you are one lucky gardener. They are an amazing pie apple.

  2. If your mystery apple and crab apple look like they’re planted in the same hole, is it possible that one was the rootstock for the other?

  3. I would also recommend Territorial Seeds. They have many varieties bred specifically for the Pacific Northwest and their
    catalog, and customer service are great, although you can find
    their seeds in just about any nursery or garden center in Oregon. Two other resources I found helpful when I moved to Oregon and a totally different gardening environment are
    the book “Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades” by
    Steve Solomon- first rate advice specific to our area of Oregon and “The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide” by Seattle
    Tilth. It is a month by month planning calendar for the organic gardener. I found it at Powell’s Books and last time I was there they had it stocked in the magazine section.
    Good luck- a new garden is such an exciting enterprise!

  4. You should check out our local http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/ as through them you can get ideas on fruit tree and vine varieties to plant, graft various varieties on appropriate stock, learn clever ways to prune and help you get the most out of your tiny plot. I believe they also can help identify unknown tree varieties.

  5. Hey there! What fun to discover little secrets in the garden. Thanks for the link to my crab apple jelly recipe :). xoLexie

  7. Might be worth a trip into Washington State sometime. We travelled past their orchard area on the way down to Oregon. It’s interesting to see the different way in which they grow their trees as well as seeing lots of varieties we don’t get in the UK. I’m sure you could get an ID at one of the roadside stalls or Farmers Markets if you don’t get any ideas from this post, or locally.

  8. If you want those apples identified, then if you are able to get to the taste of Autumn show at Wisley, take three apples and an expert will identify them for you for free!

  9. We just bought apples that very similar from an orchard in Kelowna BC, and they were called Ambrosia. And they’re a tart crisp apple, we got 15lbs and it wasn’t enough!!