“Above the orchard, the flowering branches of plum trees hovered in a creamy white cloud.” (April 6, 1814)

Plum blossoms

“It was a sweet view … rich pastures, spreading flocks, orchard in blossom.” 

(Jane Austen, Emma, Chapter 42): When Jane Austen’s brother Edward challenged “those apple-trees of yours that come into bloom in July”, he little knew that people would still be debating the issue two centuries later (see John Sutherland, Who Betrays Elizabeth Bennet?: Further Puzzles in Classic Fiction, 1999, pp. 28 ff.). It is often pointed out that the scene he questioned is set in June, not July, but little remark is made about his assumption that his sister intended an apple orchard. He is quite right, too, since apples are the latest fruit trees to blossom. And while mid-June or Midsummer is rather late – our Rambour d’Hiver in a fairly cool part of France blossoms in mid-May – there are cultivars, like Ebner’s Taffetapfel, that according to the National Fruit Collection blossom in mid-June. Ebner’s has been documented since 1872, but no one can say how long it had been in existence before that, or whether Farmer Martin might not have got his hands on similar late-blooming cultivars for his orchard in Emma.

Apple blossoms (Rambour d'Hiver)

April 6 would be too early for apple blossoms, particularly after a cold winter. Besides, I have a fondness for plums, prunes, damsons, mirabelles, and greengages, many of which grow in our garden. There is a wide range of cultivars blossoming and bearing fruit at different times of the year.

Mirabelle blossom ("Ambre précoce")

 

The Japanese custom of hanami, or flower viewing, originally began with plum blossoms. I’m sure there’s a word for “seeing plum blossoms by the full moon” in Japanese – the pillow book of Sei Shonagon mentions “plum flowers covered in snow” in her list of “elegant things”.  

And speaking of snow, would it be warm enough to sit outside on 6 April 1814? From the UK Met Office I learned that the weather warmed up during the last third of March, but the real surprise was April. April 1814 was a notably warm month in what was a notably cold year. Mid-month was particularly mild.