Although it is not directly "labyrinth related," but labyrinths tend to be in nature and the beauty is within easy eyesight... I decided to make an entry for the Amazing Nature Community's regular "Amazing Nature Contest: FREE TOPIC - #2/5/23" challenge, organized by @bucipuci.
After a long and rather cold and dreary winter and early spring, our apple trees are finally in bloom, following a few days of warmth and bright sunshine!
People tend to go crazy over all those pink cherry blossoms, particularly with all the fancy hybrids... and I feel that sometimes the good old-fashioned apple gets overlooked.
Looks like a white cumulus clouds on the blue sky!
Apples tend to be among the "late bloomers" of fruit trees, but they put on quite a show. Looking at photos from past years, we are a couple of weeks behind schedule this year.
I love how they look like miniature peonies when in bud, all rounded and fuzzy... and very delicately pink.
A bit of sun, and they open up to mostly brilliant white!
We weren't sure what to expect after the cold winter, but it looks like we are going to have a big harvest this year.
The warm days also mean that there have been lots of bees out, which means pollination and a chance for fruit.
They are such pretty flowers! I love the way they are not perfectly shaped or perfectly symmetrical, almost like they were "hand made."
At the center of it all, the scent and pollen that draw the bees!
Of course, this is just the beginning of the magic of apples.
In a few weeks we'll get to see how well the crop is going to turn out; and then the wonderful transformation from these delicate flowers to plump sweet apples.
Some of last year's crop...
I do think this whole transformative process is a big part of what makes nature so beautiful and amazing!
In fall, we will get busy making pies and apple sauce and other things we can freeze or store for winter. But that's for another post, at another time!
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed the pictures!
