Issue No. 140 - November 28, 2004
by Sue Sweeney
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Thanksgiving and crabapples are a good match. Last year's
Thanksgiving issue noted that "sides" such as yams and crabapple
jelly are good to eat, but " 'cides" (e.g. pesticides) are not.
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| Picture: this ancient crabapple gracing the
lawn of Stamford's First Presbyterian Church is not sprayed. June 2004 |
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Last year's issue also talked about growing crabapples without 'cides.
It's easy; Mother Nature does it all the time, as documented by the
pictures in this year's article. Growing crabapples without 'cides
is actually easier than making apple pie if you get one of the new
disease-resistant hybrids. Plant in full sun in well drained soil;
mulch well and water when dry.
None of the crabapples in our local parks get sprayed but they do
just fine, thank you. Ditto those that grow wild along the roads and
in the woods, including the adorable little one in Stamford, CT's
Hoyt Street Alley. The wild ones are mostly descendants of our
native varieties which were here long before 'cides were invented.
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| Picture: Same tree as above, Nov. 2004. |
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If I had a yard (or even a full sun balcony), if I could
have only one tree it would be a crabapple. Awesome flowers
for the pollen eaters (and me) in the spring, plus
vitamin-rich buds for the squirrels. Gnarled branches for
the birds and squirrels to nest in summer, and for me to
enjoy in the winter. In the fall, lovely fruit for everyone,
and dried fruit through late winter for the hungry. So what
if the bugs take their share, too? Making crabapple jelly is
a lot of work, so I'd rather leave the fruit for the birds,
squirrels and wasps who can't buy what they need at the
grocery store.
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| Picture: Some crabapples get so red in the
cool late fall weather that they look caramelized. This young tree is in a
vest-pocket park at the corner of Hoyt and Strawberry Hill in Stamford, CT.
It's 'cide-free and look at the fruit. There's a row of crabapples like this
at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens that host a flock of cedar waxwings every
fall. |
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| pictures: same tree as above in April 2004
with last year's remaining fruit and in May 2004 after flowering; a street
crabapple on Bedford Street, May 2004. The bark is lovely. |
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| pictures: This crabapple grows wild behind
the Stamford CT's First Presbyterian Church parking lot. May and August
2004. |
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| pictures: This delicate wild crabapple grows
at the base of the shag bark hickory in the now-famous Hoyt Street Alley,
Stamford, CT. The little tree feeds the critters but is endangered by
mega-invasive porcelain vine. |
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Sharing the yard is a wonderful thing. By choosing plants
that aren't just "pretty faces" but which also provide
edibles and habitat throughout the year for the rabbits,
woodchucks, birds, squirrels and their associates, the earth
becomes as fruitful as it was intended. The original garden
had all the animals as well as all the plants; our gardens
also come alive when inhabited by a variety of species.
Remember, though, what the birds eat, they spread; so stick
to native plants that we want to spread -- not imports that
could become our next invasive plant plague.
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pictures: The Homer Lee Wise Memorial
vest-pocket park, Stamford CT, again no 'cides and a fine tree.
Some of the apples have gone bad but there are plenty left. |
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So give thanks for the earth on which we live by curtailing the use of 'cides
and by making the Thanksgiving "sides" from 'cide-free organically-grown
produce.
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Picture: The First Presbyterian Church
crabapple marks the season 2003-2004 |
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