Mystery Tree A is thriving. It needs a bit of pruning and shaping to keep the branches from overlapping, but otherwise it looks about perfect. The mystery seems to be clearing up in favor of apples, judging by the emerging fruit. I’ve never directly watched apples grow, so this is a treat. From my perusing of the Sunset Western Garden Book (the gardening bible in this neck of the woods), the tree seems like it might be “Garden Delicious,” a genetic dwarf whose fruit is described as “Medium to large, golden green, red blush.” I’m enchanted! Will they be sweet? Tart? Bountiful? It’s all good, as far as I’m concerned.

Mystery Tree B is another story entirely. The past month has been quite busy, and I haven’t had a chance to tend the diseased leaves. The fruit (definitely baby peaches — that mystery has been solved) and about half the leaves look healthy. The rest of the foliage looks like it’s under alien attack: bubbling pink splotches which swell up, thicken, leach out the color and fold over on themselves, resembling miniature yellow-green versions of the hooka-smoking Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. These then dry up, blacken, and fall off, where they lie around waiting to infest next year’s crop if the ground isn’t kept clean. Duly noted! I’ve just started to prune out the unhealthy growth, and hope to get a decent crop. Peach cobbler in the summer sounds divine!