Close up of apple tree graft, showing two small red growths which are hopefully the start of buds.

So we enter the sort-of "expectant father" phase. First sign of something with my "Cherry Melville" apple tree grafts - those tiny red lumps. If I'm lucky it will mean the graft has taken & the cut end of the rootstock has fused with the cut end of the scion, cambium to cambium. Time to wait...🤞🏼🕰️🌿

List of birds recorded using the Merlin bird song app. (1)

List of birds recorded using the Merlin bird song app. (2)

Wild rabbit exploring our rear garden.

Wild rabbit exploring our rear garden.

Sat in the garden here listening to the birds & used Merlin Bird ID app to help recognise those calls I didn't know. The results of this 10 min recording were eye (ear?) opening. We also have our very own Cottontail now; making our garden "cat proof" may have helped. It better keep off my rhubarb! 😂

Two different pints of beer from two different breweries.

Pump clip for one of the beers.

Pump clip for one of the beers.

Popped down the local for beers & food: Red Lion, Milfield. We like pubs that support local &/or regional breweries, so finding both Loch Lomond & Tempest Brewery beers on tap was a bonus.😋 The Loch Lomond had the edge on this occasion though I remain a fan of Tempest's beers. 👍
#BskyBeer

Front of beer can with title & key information displayed.

Glass of beer poured from the can on the right.

Basic tasting notes & ingredients on side of beer can.

Pudding is from Vault City & their "Mini Choc Eggs" Chocolate Stout. Typical "stout notes" are in this beer once you get past the sweetness & strong chocolate nose & flavour. For my tastes, this is a bit too sweet - like eating a square of Dairy Milk that's been dipped in sugar. A pity.
#BskyBeer

Front label of beer bottle.

Glass of beer poured from the bottle on the right.

Information about the beer on one side of the label.

More information about the beer on the other side of the label.

Staying local tonight with a beer from across the valley: "Kopec" from Cheviot Brewery. I do like some lagers & this Pilsner-style lager was very good. 😋
#BskyBeer

Front bottle label for a 750ml bottle of cider.

Sparkling cider in the neck of the bottle after removing the cap.

Glass of cider poured from the bottle pictured showing the rear label which carries more information.

We've been slowly working through our box of single varieties from Thornborough Cider of Yorkshire. The Goode Wyffe selected tonight's bottle: Kingston Black SV 7.5%vol. The good folk of the Nottingham Cider Club voted this their favourite KB SV - & we both agree with their choice.😋👌
#cider

Quiz sheet. Hand drawn ink & coloured pencil illustrations depicting the names of apples & pears uses in cider & perry.

Quiz sheet. Hand drawn ink & coloured pencil illustrations depicting the names of apples & pears uses in cider & perry.

Quiz sheet. Hand drawn ink & coloured pencil illustrations depicting the names of apples & pears uses in cider & perry.

Blimey! Was this really six years ago..? Ink & coloured pencil illustrations I drew due to: COVID ... Lockdown ... Something to share & amuse. 🙂
🍏🍎🍐
#apples #pears #cider #perry #quiz #handdrawn #illustrations

Google Maps image from Nov 2024, of roadside dilapidated old barn with a tree growing against the wall & apples on the ground.

Photograph of same old apple tree just coming into leaf & blossom.

Clusters of flower / blossom buds & fresh leaf growth.

Another cluster of flower / blossom buds & fresh leaf growth.

Seek & ye shall find? Or inadvertently stumble across summat on Google Maps Street View...🤔 While checking out an old tumble-down roadside barn in the village, I saw apples on the verge in the photo from Nov 2024. So I went for a closer look; certainly a "wilding" tree, lots of blossom too.
#cider ?

A powered aircraft towing a glider/sailplane into the sky.

Two dogs at the Maelmin timber henge in Northumberland.

Took the Wooffits for a walk around the village & out to the #Maelmin Henge & Trail. We watched numerous takeoffs, the two powered aircraft in turn dragging the gliders/sailplanes overhead & into the sky.
In the end, I decided not to sacrifice the Woofits to The Tree God.
#milfield #wooler 🐾🐾

Woman walking along the shore with two dogs.

Two dogs exploring pools & rocks along the shore.

Our old girl wandering along the beach.

Our old girl with us at the pub after our walk.

This afternoon was a long walk along the shoreline from Cocklawburn beach down to Cheswick Sands, then over the dunes & back along the Northumberland coast path. It was bright & sunny but the wind was strong & cold. A couple of pints in our local, the Red Lion, Milfield, tied things up nicely. 🐾🐾🙂👍

Pint of beer in a glass, from Tempest Brew Co.

A glider / sailplane coming in overhead to land at the Borders Gliding Club, Milfield.

After a very sunny but bracing walk along the beach, it's back to the village & down t'pub. Settled on this Tempest Brew Co "Riding Tigers" hazy pale @ 4.5%vol. Reet up my street.👍😋 We're under the flight path of the local gliding club so it's nice to sit in the sun & watch the antics.🙂
#BskyBeer

Railways are excellent in France & Spain... TGV🇨🇵 & AVE🇪🇦 plus good local services. The RENFRE route along northern Spain is supposed to be very good? 🤔

Domfront area of France...? Lots of poiré, cidre & calvados - both from cidre & poiré. Northern Spain should also be a contender but not sure about perry. If you fancy the latter, Mr Garrod is the man to ask for tips.

Front label of bottle of cider.

Rear label on bottle of cider.

As we're hunkered down in the "Amber Zone" for wind from Storm Dave, we thought we'd crack one of the Thornborough Cider single varieties. This Allington Pippin SV is very good; pineapple & citrus notes on the tongue, nice residual sweetness countered with refreshing acidity. 😋
#cider #wholejuice 👌

Grafting kit set out ready. From L to R: Rootstock & cutting (scion); grafting tape, scissors, grafting sealant in tub; knives; pruning shears. The methylated spirits is to keep cutting edges of tools sterile. If it gets too bad I'll drink the meths instead of the tea...

First graft completed of apple scion onto MM106 apple rootstock. Forgot to get the plasters handy though... Ouch.

And ... we're off..! One down, 6 to go.💚 Grafting scions from our unique DNA tested "Cherry Melville" onto MM106 rootstocks. We'll grow these on in BIG pots to start with. There's a strong community "keep it local" attitude in the village so hope to get some planted around. 👌
#apples #grafting

Rhubarb root just planted 26 Jan 2026.

Rhubarb root today 4th April 2026.

Work in progress... 💚👍

Just found the cards: M26 rootstock so potentially ideal for this garden (we've downsized a fair bit).

There are & will be more shortly (just off grafting). 👍

Not yet...

Condition OK? Stored in cool open & covered space, front of store. Roots had damp fibre & all in a tightly-closed poly bag. Got the cards "somewhere"🙄 with details - rootstock noted but can't remember what. Apparently suitable for growing outdoor in "very large pots" so some kind of dwarfing type.

A young apple tree, variety "Jonagold" showing early spring growth.

A young apple tree, variety "Cox's Orange Pippin" showing early spring growth.

The apple tree labels when purchased in January 2026.

Very pleased to report that the two apple trees I purchased from the supermarket in January have survived the weather of north Northumberland.👍 These two "Tesco Clubcard Specials" at 2 for £12 were a bargain.🙂 Hopefully fruitful times lie ahead. 💚🌳🍎🍏
#planting #apples #fruit #trees #northumberland

Have you seen his cut & polished Agates..? Man of many talents! 👍

5 x 750ml bottles : 2 Welsh cider + 2 Welsh perry - plus one Sagardoa sidra natural.

Couple of weeks back, I had some bloke knocking on the door around 9am. Said he was on his way to Fife in search of Agates, so called in for a coffee & to hand me a box of 4 of his goodies & a sidra for good luck. 😊👍 Thank you Kev Garrod, Mr Monnow Valley Cider.👌
#cider #perry #monmouthshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Six different 750ml Single Variety bottles of cider.

Rear labels with apple variety & ABV.

Drove up from Hucknall to Wooler yesterday - & following a tip-off from @mnkybridgecider.bsky.social about Thornborough Yorkshire Cider, it turned out the village of Thornborough was exactly halfway. Perfect! 6xSVs - & I hear the KB & YM are particularly good. 😋🍏🍎
#cider #wholejuice #singlevariety

Wheelbarrow containing large plant pot with 1.8m high young Hazel tree.

Hazel safely settled in the ground, watered in wheelbarrow full of kit ready to go back home. NB:The Birch on the left (planted by the local council) is dead; as are the other 4 they planted - to replace the 5 Oaks they planted & then ring-barked with a strimmer so they all died first... 🫤

That's the last of the Home-"Squirrel Planted"-Grown young Hazel trees embedded in the wildlife area of the park across the road here in Hucknall. Off back to Northumberland tomorrow so fingers crossed that it will survive the attention of the local yoof - & the District Council..
#hazel #sapling

New growth opening up on an Acer Palmatum (Japanese Maple).

Damson blossom - variety "Merryweather".

Bright sunshine in spring can mean some glorious sights.😊
This Acer Palmatum is one of 3 'Japanese Maples' that my late mum had started to Bonsai train - we've potted them on to grow unheeded, ready for planting out.
As usual the Damson blossom never fails to bring good cheer & thoughts of fruit.

Freshly pulled & trimmed Rhubarb stalks.

First pulling of the year = crunchy oaty crumble topping + lashings of custard later. 😋 Wasn't supposed to be pulling any yet ... but a certain Bestia Negra 🐾 decided that the Rhubarb patch was a good place to lie in the sun out of the wind...🙄 Hmmm.
#rhubarb

Wheelbarrow with a number of plant pots containing Hazel tree saplings lifted from our garden.

Close up of one of the Hazel tree saplings.

The largest Hazel sapling at 2m / 6ft+ which has 4 off-shoots emerging from the same rootstock. Starting its own Hazel coppice..?

Lifting plants in Notts to take up to Northumberland & found the Squirrel's cache of Hazelnuts / Cobnuts nicked from our Corkscrew Hazel, buried & forgotten about. From 10cm to 60cm tall plus one at over 2m. If I can't find homes for them, a bit of Guerilla Planting is in order. 💚🌳
#trees #saplings

Wheelbarrow with materials & equipment to plant the tree in the plant pot.

The planted Hazel tree outlined to enhance clarity.

Today I have been mostly planting out a home-grown, Squirrel-planted Hazel. Grew from a Hazel / Cob nut pinched from our Corkscrew Hazel by the local Squirrels & cached in our garden. Potted it up a few years back & now at 6ft+ / 2m it needed a new home in the wide outdoors.💚🌳
#tree #hazel

Cider or Perry..? 🤔