We got a lot accomplished this weekend. Along with a quick trip to the Living Museum, and finishing four hundred loads of laundry, we ordered plants. We kept it pretty simple this year. We ordered two replacement apple trees (all three of ours were girdled by voles) from Vintage Virginia Apples. This time around we picked up a Shockley, which is a very tasty apple, and an Albemarle Pippin.
The Albemarle Pippin is a neat apple with a history. According to the Vintage Virgina Apple folks it was introduced to Albemarle County by Col. Thomas Walker who brought the apple back from the battle of Brandywine in 1777. Though the 18th century it was widely grown and was known to be cultivated by both Washington and Jefferson (the second should be no surprise, that dude tried to grow EVERYTHING.) In 1838 Queen Victoria was presented with a basket of the apples and it was such a hit that Parliament waved the duty on importing the variety which made it an important export for us. After World War I Parliament levied duties gain, and the Pippin became less popular. It is still grown commerically, but mostly for cider not as an eating apple.
We also picked up four current bushes (two white and two red), a replacement cherry tree (we lost it’s predecessor to voles as well), more strawberry plants, two yellow raspberry bushes, some wild carrot plants and coreopsis for the butterfly garden, a dwarf pomegranate (we’ve managed to keep the key lime alive, so we’re risking it), and some assorted pretty things to fill in a few holes.
We’ll use up the seed we have on hand for tomatos, peppers, various root veg, herbs, and viney plants and supplement a bit from the nurseries in the spring.
Not the most exciting weekend for most people, but hey! I got the laundry done and I don’t have to worry about the gardens for another whole month!
The Albemarle Pippin is a neat apple with a history. According to the Vintage Virgina Apple folks it was introduced to Albemarle County by Col. Thomas Walker who brought the apple back from the battle of Brandywine in 1777. Though the 18th century it was widely grown and was known to be cultivated by both Washington and Jefferson (the second should be no surprise, that dude tried to grow EVERYTHING.) In 1838 Queen Victoria was presented with a basket of the apples and it was such a hit that Parliament waved the duty on importing the variety which made it an important export for us. After World War I Parliament levied duties gain, and the Pippin became less popular. It is still grown commerically, but mostly for cider not as an eating apple.
We also picked up four current bushes (two white and two red), a replacement cherry tree (we lost it’s predecessor to voles as well), more strawberry plants, two yellow raspberry bushes, some wild carrot plants and coreopsis for the butterfly garden, a dwarf pomegranate (we’ve managed to keep the key lime alive, so we’re risking it), and some assorted pretty things to fill in a few holes.
We’ll use up the seed we have on hand for tomatos, peppers, various root veg, herbs, and viney plants and supplement a bit from the nurseries in the spring.
Not the most exciting weekend for most people, but hey! I got the laundry done and I don’t have to worry about the gardens for another whole month!