Anya apricot seedling planted in January, 21.5″ high now. Picture taken when it was too bright for the upper side branches to show up well but they’re there. It’s taller than the one on its second year and much much taller than the others planted this year, one of which is still stuck at about 5″ high. Clearly, planting this one in a mix that was mostly that Quoddy blend of composted lobster shells was successful; it’s the only one that was, but then, I chose the best-looking specimen for that in the first place. I wanted to try something totally different from what last year’s baby tree got.

Clearly, the older one should be repotted in the good stuff too come the winter.

Today this one got voted most likely to end up planted permanently in the yard. Helped by the fact that someone else said the fastest and tallest of his was the one whose fruit came out most like the hoped-for Anya parent.

(Don’t mind me, I’m trying to keep a record of what worked where I’ll know where to find it.)

Meantime, this woman was a kick to read about. I’d never heard this WWII story from the Channel Islands. It was the upper-crust Germans who were sent to that post during her island’s occupation, and because they were who they were it was they who were able to be cowed again and again before someone who so outranked them socially–a weapon she was happy to put to use at a time when there was no other available to her.

The rent for her fief to the Queen has not been updated since, apparently, 1565, at 1.79 pounds. I assume there were no late fees for any interruption caused by the war.