Pickled walnuts and Apples

Hello
In my last post I asked people how they kept their walnuts from the squirrels. Some suggested I pickle the unripe walnuts before the squirrel got them. Cro suggested I try some before I waste my walnuts on something I don't like and yesterday as per his suggestion, I bought some Opies pickled walnuts. Looking at them reminds me of my friend J. a district nursing sister (now retired) She always referred to the offerings (in bedpans) of her constipated patients as "pickled walnuts" !!  I can see what she means and it's rather putting me off to be honest.
 Yesterday we collected our first swarm of the year. Not large, but looking good. It swarmed onto the damson above the front greenhouse and was easily collected.
Here is David with "Bob" one of our Shared Lives guys helping him. Bob is  getting to be a good help with swarm catching. This activity is risk-assessed of course in line with Social Services policy (ahem)

 The blossom has been wonderful this year. Here are a few pics of some of our trees
The first two pictures are of our pollinator crab apples - Golden Hornet and John Downie.
This tree to the rear of the artichokes and rhubarb is "Golden Hornet"

 This is "John Downie".  These two crab apples cover the apple blossom time for all our apple trees.

Here is "Grenadier" an early cooker.

 This is one of our two " Jonogolds" with "Elstar" fanned on the fence to the left (both eaters) and "Bramley" cooker to the right.

We have more apples, but I guess that is enough for now as you are probably getting bored. But I have to show you this huge cooker/eater that is in our front garden. it is obviously very old. We sent a sample to Brogdale, who don't recognise it and say that it was probably grown from a pip many years ago and that we could name it ourselves. David calls it "Gilly's Pippin".

                                                         
David has had to start cutting the paddock today. Those five little lambs certainly can't keep it down and it is getting too long for them. this one cut should be sufficient as the lambs grow. The biggest problem is getting rid of the cuttings, which if left in a huge heap, becomes a huge heap of black slime. So with the help of a friend I have been layering the cuttings between pig, chicken and rabbit muck, mole hills and some old straw. Next year this should make good compost.

Off to fetch David back from Quiz Night.
Before I go I must welcome to Judy Kiesow to the follower bar. Lovely to see you here.
Back soon
Gillx