I’m not managing to post as much as I would like at present. I’m working in the garden more than writing about it, plus I am still having issues with our internet, often too slow to upload even the smallest image. Hopefully today I will be able to join Gillian and her ‘Looking good’ meme.
I do think it is a great thing to look at what’s good rather than what’s bad or what needs to be done. We, gardeners do have that habit of thinking that it was better last week or will be better next.
There are several things in the garden that are giving me pleasure this week; I have chosen to share with you the Arbutus tree which is covered with flowers and anything that is covered with flowers in November is definitely a candidate to be enthused over.
Arbutus, needs pruning into shape but not while it is covered with flowers
I don’t think there have ever been quite so many flowers
Bees love the nectar provided by Arbutus at this time of year
The fruits that give the common name of Strawberry tree
The bees make a very special honey from Arbutus flowers; it is described as bitter but I would say it has the taste of just a little burnt caramel; it is perfect with Pecorino cheese. It comes mainly from Sardinia and is hard to buy even here which is very close to the port sails to Sardinia every day. If fact knowing how clever the supermarkets are in the UK at sourcing special products it is probably easier to find in the UK than it is here. If you do find any (It’s called Corbezzelo honey, Corbezzelo is the common name of Arbutus tree here) do try it, I think you’ll enjoy it very much.
Thanks to Gillian for hosting and have a lovely gardening weekend.
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
I am full of envy for your Arbutus, Christina, thats a magnificent specimen, with so many flowers you will have a fine display of fruits next year. I rarely see one of here and am not sure why. The honey sounds delicious too.
I should only grow natives, they are always what look best!
and include natives from places with similar conditions, Frances
What a beautiful tree, the flowers are magnificent. I’m of to shop in our nearest town so I will look for your honey!
I do hope you find some of the honey.
What a superb Arbutus. I hope mine will look like that one day. I will look out for the honey.
It has grown so well, I have added 4 more to the new Evergreen beds that I will keep as smaller ‘lollipops’.
I shall look out for the honey and how lovely to have a tree in bloom in November.
I forgot to say the fruits and the flowers are on the tree at the same time. They sell them as unusual fruits in some shops.
Sympathies with the internet problems, they are back again here too. I can’t seem to keep on top of things at the moment. We had an arbutus in the last garden and I loved it. Must look for another one for here. Enjoy the garden, raining again in Devon today.
Thanks for sharing your Arbutus tree. It really is pretty. I should love to try that honey… I must look out for it next time I go to town!
I expect German supermarkets or speciality stores are as well stocked with things from Italy as those in the UK, do let me know if you find it, and whether you like it.
I have made a note of it Christina. I like the ‘wood honey’ sold here – it is herby and rich.
Wonderful tree! I love the flowers and fruit, and how the clusters of flowers look against the green foliage.
What a great post. Very interesting about the honey that’s made from the blooms. Is your Arbutus blooming more than it usually does?
Yes I’ve never seen so many flowers, it is almost white with all the pretty little hanging bells.
It’s a great tree. My own Arbutus (‘Marina’) has blooms year round – right now there are both blooms and berries. We prune just to improve the air flow through the branches in order to prevent the sooty mold they can otherwise develop here.
Mine has flowers and fruit at the same time too. Do you eat the fruit?
I was wondering that too. They’re supposed to taste like figs, aren’t they?
They are quite nice to eat, with the texture of a ripe peach. Hard to define the taste but not like fig at all, fresh tasting, not overly sweet but not bitter; I’ve heard it isn’t good to eat a large number of them as they contain some chemical that isn’t good is quantity, I usually just eat one or two as I’m passing the tree.
That’s a magnificent specimen. My Arbutus never seems to set fruit and suffers from a black spot on its leaves. I think it needs more sun, but it was planted before we arrived. I’ll look out for the honey too.
You’re right that the problem with yours may be the lack of sun, here it is considered an under-story tree but with such different light levels here I think it needs full sun in the UK.
I’ve always admired the photos of arbutus. I love the berries, but never knew about the honey! How is the bark on it, I seem to remember nice bark as well.
Yours is a very nice and happy looking specimen!
The bark is lovely too, even on quite young trees, I’ll try to show the bark and the inside of the fruits in the next few days.
how lovely to have so many flowers in November, even though you are quite far south, the honey sounds good, I doubt I would find it on island but I will look the next time I am in the south of England, I have been concentrating my posts this year on the positive and I think that has a lot to do with why I feel better about the garden, I am semi ignoring the weed infested fruit and berry garden, I had not heard of this meme, one to think about for next year, thanks Christina, you have a great (what’s left of the) weekend too, Frances
p.s. and I hope you get your internet connection sorted soon, it is soooo frustrating and time wasting, x
What is so frustrating is that a some times the connection is fast and I can even stream tv programmes at other times I can’t even go to these comments from an email! With the world as it is I think we have to be positive about our own lives otherwise we’d all just be sucked into the abyss.
Your Arbutus is beautiful, I wish I had one that size. All the bees seem to like the flowers so the nectar must be really good. I’d love to taste the honey, I’m just discovering how different honeys can taste. I can imagine it must be very specialised work to take honey from bees at this time of year in Europe. It could explain why it is possible in the mild climate of Sardinia. Amelia
The maritime climate of Sardinia must make a difference; I hadn’t thought about the complexities of taking the honey at this time of year.
How fantastic to have something in such abundant flower at this time of year. I do very much agree that we are always thinking that the moment is not quite as good as what has just happened or what is about to happen. It is a great idea to look at right now.
Yes, enjoying the moment is the way I try to live my life, I don’t always succeed.
I’m not familiar with your native tree Christina. It’s really attractive and I like those red fruits. Are the flowers scented?
The flowers aren’t noticeably scented Susie, but they still attract a lot of bees.
So interesting to read all these comments about the arbutus and the fruits and honey. So the fruits don’t always appear at the same time as the flowers?
The fruits stay on the tree for ages so the flowers and fruit are often together.
The arbutus is fabulous! I always prefer to show the what is good. I think that is why many folks think my garden is beautiful; they don’t see the diseased or dead stuff!
I know it could be said that by showing the best in the garden we are not telling the truth but I feel it is important to be positive and even more important to enjoy what is good rather than becoming depressed by what needs to be done.
Your tree is such a beautiful example, really wonderful. I first encountered this tree in London at what is now known as The Garden Museum, in Lambeth London. It was in a very sheltered spot against a wall, sadly I am unable to offer either position so will have to make do with admiring yours!
You sometimes see them growing in woodland, they will take cold if the soil is very free draining.
That is a lot of flowers and a special honey too. Sounds yummy. I have been quite remiss in blogging especially reading as I have been working in the garden before winter arrives soon….glad I am catching up a bit today.
My goal for this year has been to be better at enjoying the moment and not trying to think so much about what is coming next. My Arbutus is about 5 years old and this is the first year it was just covered with blooms. I have really enjoyed watching each day as the blooms and fruiting has progressed.
Hi Charlie, living for the moment has to be the best way to live, although it isn’t always easy. I’m surprised an Arbutus lives as far north as Seattle, which variety is it? Are there still bees to take advantage of the late flowers.
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