Apple Blossoms

Missed the blossoms this year? This post is for you!

by Carlyn Stewart

Hello everyone and happy spring! If you weren't able to catch the apple blossoms this year, this blog post is for you!

This year, the crab apple trees that line the historic road bloomed from about April 11^th until about April 23rd with a peak from April 16^th to April 18^th. After April 23^rd the petals gracefully floated through the air caught by a light breeze and decorated the ground until the swift New Mexico winds scattered them about.The trees now have full leaves providing a peaceful shady area perfect for a picnic.The crab apple trees have been planted by multiple owners throughout the history of the site. We are definitely thankful to them as these are incredibly beautiful to witness. 

I decided to do a little video that discusses "Forest Bathing" and walks you through the crab apple trees as an early virtual celebration of Earth Day.  Check that out here: 

The apple orchard this year was not so lucky – different trees bloomed at different times, many bloomed late due to a freeze, and most of them were not as full as in past years. The majority of the trees had  subtle blooms hidden within leaves. The trees that did get a full tree of blooms however were absolutely stunning. We did our best to update guests on the timing of the blooms but since the trees did not bloom at the same time that was difficult to do. 

The historic apple orchard features three types of apples: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Winesap varieties. This land has been used to grow apples for hundreds of years but the current drawf apple tree splices date back to the 1960s. In archaeological terms that means they are "historic," aka over 50 years old! 

The orchard is now routinely getting watered due to the turning on of the Acequia Madre (which you can read more about here) and the land is slowly getting greener. It is important to remember that New Mexico is currently experiencing a super drought and due to our late freeze, the land is taking a bit to recover from the dry winter. Still, the cottonwood leaves have emerged sending spirals of fluffy white seeds spiraling through the grounds, the fields of alfalfa are returning, and wildflowers are popping up everywhere. Wild asparagus can be found in the orchard as well. Lilac bushes are blooming all around the Hacienda and Victorian Cottage. Tomorrow, May 9th we will host a livestream event discussing the seed varieties and the plan for the garden!

Now for the crème de la crème:

Originally published on 5-8-2021 as part of the Grow! Los Luceros series.