"Fran Farmer" wrote in message
...
On 16/11/2014 5:00 AM, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sat, 15 Nov 2014 17:17:11 +0100, Michael Uplawski
wrote:


Good afternoon all.

When I came to Normandy, I knew the German word „Mispel“ but had never
seen neither the fruit, nor the tree.
In the meantime I have passed through a process which probably makes me
fall foul of half of mankind: I love eating meplars since I learned to
cut them in half, first.

As it is also advantageous to have these trees in a hedge, I wonder if I
have a real chance to grow them from the fruit's stones (or whatever is
the right name for the seeds). In our tree nursery I was informed that
it is very difficult to grow meplars from scions, and I had not thought
to ask about the seeds. With the first frost came the first edible
fruit and for the time being I try to keep all the seeds.

As the fruits do not survive long enough in my vicinity, instead, here
is a picture of the future hedge that I am about to plant as a second,
inner rampart with some of our (nice) neighbour's smaller animals in the
foreground (256K):

http://pix.toile-libre.org/?img=1416067910.jpg

Bye,

Michael

aka Medlar in the UK. Plenty of advice on growing them here,
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-y.../fruit/medlars
especially here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-y.../fruit/medlars
and here
http://les-trois-chenes.hubpages.com...o-grow-medlars

By all accounts, best eaten after 'bletting' or rotting, for a few
weeks after picking. Never tried them.

IMO, the flowers alone make them worthy of a place in the garden.

Nice small tree with good flowers, but I am finding much of the fruit drops
and I don't know why, I find the taste nice but can understand why folk are
put off by the look of the thing. I believe the word Medlar comes from old
English (Saxon?) meaning Dogs arse!

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk