Another Walnut

Last year, at about this time, we bought our quince tree ('Serbian Gold', or 'Lescovac'), at our favourite local garden's Christmas launch evening. We typically go to this every year, even though it's early to start Christmas by my reckoning, because they inexplicably give a 15% discount for the evening. Not just on Christmas stock—on everything. Baubles, wellies, perennials, fertilizer: the lot.

Well, that's too good to pass up, isn't it? So off we toddle, round the entire garden centre, and stock up on everything mundane we know we need. I confess to starting a shopping list of necessary-but-not-urgent things we need some months in advance.

The garden centre's loyalty card scheme also sent me a voucher for a half-price outside plant last year, which was the reason for getting the quince: although it excluded Christmas trees and houseplants, all other outside plants were eligible: and half-price off a fruit tree brings their normal ~£40 price tag down to the same region as a 2–3 year old maiden bare-root, but much larger.

They obviously didn't think this was a problem, though I'm sure most of the vouchers get used on shrubs and perennials in the £5–15 range, and so they sent me another one.

That, too, was too tempting to pass up.

We bought a walnut from RHS Harlow Carr in September, which was reduced by 50% at the end of the season (I'm still not really sure why, but there you go: it would have over-wintered perfectly happily, and they still have a number of apples and pears that weren't cleared out, as our visit two weeks ago demonstrated). The walnut variety, Broadview, is nominally self-fertile, but—like all self-fertile fruit trees—will still set more fruit if there's a cross-pollinator available. So I was delighted to find a Buccaneer in the nut aisle at the garden centre, nominally £39.99: but of course I only paid £20, which is still £10–15 less than I've found (cultivated) walnuts elsewhere. I'm delighted, of course.

There was also a sweet chestnut, which would have been nearly as good value (£18), but I'd quite like Marron de Lyon (which this wasn't), and it wouldn't have fitted in the car. The Buccaneer was a good 8–9' tall, and just fitted in: the chestnut was taller and bushier, and wouldn't have had a chance. But it would have been very satisfying.