pear – BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking

#365daysofbiking Peared down

April 14th – On the way to work on a sunny morning, I passed the new pond at Clayhanger on the canal. I noticed that the pear tree there is currently in blossom.

Pear blossom is subtly different to apple, which comes a bit later and has pink tinges, and to cherry, which is generally smaller, denser and more uniform.

The white flowers against the blue sky again made for a brilliant contrast, and improved my mood no end.

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#365daysofbiking A bitter pear:

September 17th – The pear tree in Clayhanger has had a good season, against my expectations.

I had thought the crop this year would be poor due to the dry summer and ravenous birds, but it’s been heavy and the fruit are large and softer than the usual small, bitter offerings. And mercifully free of bird-pecks.

But oh my goodness they’re sharp!

A lovely thing to see.

July 23rd – Saddly poor photo of something that caught me by surprise: A wayside pear tree in Clayhanger (I won’t say where) is fruiting very heavily this year, and despite the dry conditions, the fruit look like they’re going to be quite large.

Watching this one carefully, but expecting the crop to be decimated by birds (bless them) as it has been before.

May 2nd – Further up the canal, at the new pond in Clayhanger, the pear blossom is very strong and fulsome this year – since we’re now hopefully too late for a frost, we might have a decent crop this year.

The canal itself is beautiful at the moment in shades of bright green – with the rare glimpse of blue sky and such gorgeous blossom it’s possible to convince yourself that this morning had to be the last of the bad weather and summer might finally be coming…

August 14th – Another tree I keep an eye on is the odd pear tree growing near the top of the bank between the canal and new pond at Clayhanger. I have no idea how it came to b there and suspect it sprouted from a discarded fruit core.

This small but dense tree usually fruits copiously, but this year is suffering terribly from blight and bird attack. The fruit on this tree have never looked appetising at all, to be honest.

An interesting thing though, and I’ll keep watching as it grows and develops over the years and hope that one day the harvest prospers.

April 20th – Further on, Clayhanger Common is greening over a treat: the bench by the canal overlooking the new pond is once more watching over a sea of verdant green, and the pear tree there is in blossom, too.

Near the canal overflow, the foliage and creeper archway over the desire path onto the common there has delightfully regrown this year, and that makes me happy. It’s a lovely accidental feature of the common I don’t think anyone’s noticed much.

Spring, you’re so welcome…

April 12th – A further delight of the rain on Clayhanger Common – cowslips and pear blossom bearing jewel-like raindrops. In spring, even the rain is beautiful, and sights like these, even when you’re soaked to the bone due to lack of waterproofs – gladden the heart.

June 23rd – By the new pond at Clayhanger, the pear tree I found last year seems to have a reasonable crop, but it’s under attack from something bruising or otherwise damaging the fruit.

I’ve not seen anything like this before; the pears grown here last year were small, but well formed and without blemishes.

My grandfather used to say that a late frost catching the fruit blossom would ruin a crop. I wonder if this is what that looks like – after all, we did have a late and quite heavy frost this year?

May 9th – Pear blossom lasts but a few days, and you’re lucky to spot it really, but this thick crop of flowers, just going over and scattering like confetti on the strong breeze were profuse on the small pear tree by the new pond in Clayhanger.

Last year the tree fruited well, but with a late frost on the blossom, I’m not sure how well this tree will do this year.

Beautiful while it lasts, though.

August 24th – Fruits of all kinds from berries, to nuts to pears. All in a short section of canal from Clayhanger to Brownhills on a dull, airless journey home. Nature is bountiful at the moment, and I was pleased to find the untouched windfall hazels, as here don’t seem to be many around this year. I note also the pears did quite well at Clayhanger, and the blackberries are delivering a huge crop this year.

It’s feeling a lot like autumn now.