Less is More

There is both science and art in the task of pruning fruit trees.  This year, it would appear that we finally did it right!  First, we had a very early spring in which the temperatures oscillated between low and high over several days during which we were outside continuously and managed to get all the trees done in relatively good weather.  At least that's what I remember.... 

OTOH, maybe this crazy weather (warmest March on record for the entire country) simply gave us more blooms this year. The apple trees are loaded! Pollinators of every stripe are busy buzzing about making apples--the late bloomers of the orchard.  The plums, pears, and peaches have long since shed their petals.
It' always a (fruitless) fear of mine that we've pruned too much and we won't have any fruit!  This year, MM pruned somewhat more vigorously than in prior years, using his new battery-powered pruning saw against the backdrop of my natterings that he was being too harsh.    But apparently the trees were grateful.  We have more blossoms than ever before,  and if all goes well, we'll have lots of apples, plums, pears, and peaches. 

Of course we also hold our breath hoping we won't experience a killing freeze, which can, in this region, happen all the way through the end of May.  Frost is in the forecast later this week, but that could change.  A light one won't be harmful, but temperatures below 28 degrees would not be good.

For now we can simply enjoy the weddings of bugs to blooms that continue each day into dusk until darkness ultimately demands they cease.