Apple tree blooming in October

Hey everyone, just imagine what I discovered today, October 12, 2023. This is really something special.

Our apple tree has a new shoot that’s covered in blossoms! We’ve never seen anything like this in the fall before! And it’s the only shoot with blossoms on the tree.

I just have to show you this:





I should also mention that we’ve had summer weather so far, and it just won’t let up. Normal fall weather won’t start here for another two days.

Maybe you’ll spot some of these “spring-like” signs on your own trees or plants, too. If so, feel free to share a photo of them.

It’s still very mild here, and since it’s rained a lot, the trees are all still a beautiful green—but once it gets colder, the leaves will fall quickly.
Still, apple blossoms in the fall are truly sensational!

Yes, Veronika. And we haven’t had any rain here in a very long time. Everything is completely dry.

Now everyone needs to keep their fingers crossed that the sparrow family’s much-too-late offspring will fledge in time.... 
The weather is really crazy this year; everything is totally out of sync.... 
I’m still harvesting a handful of strawberries every two days, and my tomatoes (they’re outside) are still producing too.... 

Wow, that’s sensational news. It really warms the heart of a nature lover.
It’s actually still been mild and pleasant here, but every now and then it rains really hard, and now it’s supposed to get colder. Just typical dreary weather.
Until today, I could still get by with just a cardigan or blazer.

Have a nice evening, everyone!

Yeah, Steffi, the Spatz family—I just had to laugh, because they’re actually courting right here at our place. Well, in two days they’ll realize it’s getting too chilly for their little ones. Because on Sunday, the temperature here will drop from 22 degrees on Saturday down to 11 degrees. Brrrr....

Today I was still enjoying the balcony and garden. Somehow, I still can’t quite imagine going outside in warm clothes.

I’d already found primroses in December, but apple blossoms in October… nature is totally out of whack somehow. You’re still walking around in cardigans and sitting comfortably outside, while here in the north I dug out my warm scarf today. It was already blowing pretty chilly around the corners.

Marlies, we only wear a cardigan in the morning; otherwise, it’s just a T-shirt. It’s 25 degrees today, so it’s time to head back out to the balcony. We’ve even had dinner on the balcony the last few days. 

Monika, I’ve already lit my tea-light heater—otherwise it’s too uncomfortable to knit. It’s still 20° here, but with rain and stormy winds, that doesn’t help much.

I’m at Wilhelma in Stuttgart where it’s 28 degrees, and I spotted a magnolia blossom

Monika, it was summery here again today in terms of temperatures, but starting tomorrow it’s supposed to cool down significantly. But apple blossoms in October are something completely new—we’ve never seen that before—nature is totally out of sync.

Love, Inge

I can tell you about the second bloom on my lilac last year. Not just one branch, but several. I was really surprised!
Best regards, Karoline 

I have a hydrangea that barely had any blooms this year because I pruned it back so heavily. Yesterday, while sweeping up leaves, I thought I wasn’t seeing right. There are tons of new buds. I’ll have to try to take a photo tomorrow. That’s not normal.

Wow, you’ve had some special experiences, too. If you still can, please share some photos of them. Hydrangeas blooming again are something special, too. And a magnolia blossom—wow, Petra. That’s just as extraordinary as the apple blossom.

Why not take a look around in nature or in your gardens? Maybe you’ll discover a thing or two there, too.

By the way, our butterfly bush is really starting to bloom again now, too. We were actually planning to prune it because almost all the flowers had faded. But it really pulled out all the stops. It’s definitely nice for the bees. Now we’re waiting to prune it until these flowers have faded as well.

Tomorrow it’s supposed to be 22 degrees here again. But on Sunday, the temperature will drop.

We sat on the balcony by candlelight tonight—until just now. Warm and summery-romantic. :)

It’s crazy what you guys are reporting. But nature is out of sync here, too.
Here on our property, the crocuses are starting to bloom. I’ve also seen a few daisies.
The basil is blooming on the balcony, and there are still lots of bees on it. In late spring/early summer, there were only a few scattered bees, but now it’s still buzzing everywhere.
This year really is different.

Oh, you’re right about the crocuses, Claudia. We’ve got a few of them here and there in our gardens, too. With this never-ending summer we’re having, it’s actually no surprise. In Mediterranean countries, there’s also a second bloom after a break.
As of today, fall has finally caught up with us. It feels really strange with temperatures at 12 degrees...

The blooming crocuses, however, aren’t that unusual. The fall crocus is its own species of crocus.

Yes, the blooming season for this usually starts in the second half of August. But I saw some on apple orchards just two weeks ago. 

I’m familiar with crocuses that bloom in the fall, too. In our garden, it’s the regular spring-blooming ones—which we planted ourselves a few years ago—that are actually blooming again now. I’m curious to see if they’ll come back again next spring… 

The crocuses that bloom in autumn are called autumn crocuses.

Best regards, Inge

That’s not true, Inge! The autumn colchicum is poisonous, but the fall crocus isn’t. They do look very similar, though. The autumn colchicum has 6 stamens, while the fall crocus has only 3.

You never stop learning—I would have thrown those two into the same pot, too!

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
The Spatz family actually got their last chick to fledge.... Unbelievable—this morning, all three were sitting together on the nest box.... Papa Spatz then briefly brought something “for their beaks,” and then Mom and the little one went back inside.... But only for a moment.... Dad Sparrow decided it was time to “get up”....
Thank goodness I have enough food for the colder days—this time there was even plenty of “fruit” to gather, like rose hips and the like. But always take “just a few from each plant”—never take it all at once; after all, they still need something to eat now, too 😉

Oh, how cute, Steffi! :-)
Yeah, it’s been crazy this year. I didn’t even know that birds eat rose hips in the winter, too. I’ve collected and dried some myself. I can definitely use those to feed them. Do you break them apart somehow, or do you crush them? Or do you just leave them whole for the birds?

I’m making a “basin” to put them in.... One made of twigs, loosely tied so they don’t roll around but not so tight that water pools.... I’m providing seed food separately.... 

Thanks, Steffi—great idea!

You can dry them or freeze them fresh—that way, “more” vitamins are preserved.... 

That’s great, I hadn’t even thought about freezing them. I’m sure that will work well with the fresh ones. I’ll give a few to our birds.