This eye-catching specimen, 'Mesipilus germanica', melted our hearts as soon as we arrived in this garden. A member of the rose family, in early spring her twisting structure supports a canopy of fresh leaves punctuated with tiny star shaped white flowers. Her interesting bark is characterised by vertical grooves. Damage to her root system has enabled 'honeyfungus' to mount an attack as it has done before with the walnut, magnolia & ghost trees. She is now underplanted with wild orchids to help her develop some resistance. Being hermaphrodite she is benefiting from the activity of her new neighbours, Banba & the girls, our honey-bees. In October she has to shed her amber leaves, revealing unusual apple-like fruit. Popular in Victorian times the fruit is not seen often today; however it makes delicious jelly & chutney to accompany cheese & red wine during the long winter evenings. The fruit is best harvested in late october after a hard frost & then left to rot & ferment, turning dark brown & wrinkled. (A process known as 'bletting'). The taste of the softened fruit is reminiscent of sweet dates or apple sauce with a hint of cinnamon. Tonight a hard frost is forcast - hopefully in the morning I can harvest the fruit in preparation for a traditional winter chutney.
