Prunus armenica, Apricot tree
There is a long strip of ‘garden’ in the yard of the block of flats where we live. Twenty odd years ago a committee of flat owners bought some trees and bushes and planted them. After a few years there was a decided lack of interest in the maintenance of the ‘garden’ and it is now mostly looking after itself. Near the beginning of the year a gardener, armed with some helpers and a chainsaw, come and chop off some branches here and there and cut off the branches of the pine trees which have nests of processional caterpillars.
In one area a neighbour planted an apricot stone which has now become a small tree. Here are some photos of the tree taken the day after some rain
The apricot tree is mentioned in only a few issues of THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN, to my surprise, as there are very many growing in the coastal plain of Corinthia
However, prunus armenica is mentioned in one of my favourite articles
THE TERRACED LANDSCAPES OF THE QADISHA VALLEY
By Anne Semaan Beisch
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 85, July 2016