Here we are in December, the last month of the year which has already been rather stormy.
The Quince Brothers are still hanging on to their leaves as best they can. Storm Darragh was particularly gusty in these parts; though much less gusty than to the west of here, but gusty enough to remove many of the remaining leaves.
The Quince Brothers' leaves, even when dying and starting to fail, are still beautiful. The yellow that flushes through the green and the red that focuses on the stems all make it a flamboyant end to the growing season.
As the brothers prepare for sleep, hopefully with enough snacks and a warm enough duvet to see them through the long cold months ahead, I decided to have a discussion with them. I admit it felt rather one-sided but this does not mean that they were not thinking and not absorbing the topic. The brothers have had a patchy couple of years. This year I take on board as being my fault as I pruned them quite hard over the winter. I have no need to do this in the forthcoming months which makes me hopeful I am forgiven enough that they will produce a quince or two. This year there have been no successful quinces and even in the lean years I get at least one. We came to an agreement that I would leave them to do their thing and they would consider whether producing a quince was actually what they believe their purpose is. They know after so many years in the garden that any threats of removal are just whispers in the breeze, they know that I consider them so garden-worthy that actual quince fruits are a delightful bonus but not necessary to justify their place in the garden. It was a hand I did not keep close to my chest and my joy in them as trees has undermined any threat I could consider holding over them.
So there I am, painted into a corner and yet happy with my view. Quinces will be or not be - time will tell.
More followed trees can be found here on the delightful Squirrelbasket blog.
Take care and be kind.