You Can’t Say That, Mr Edmunds!
Posted in Garden on 23. Oct, 2008
It’s been a bit of an Edmonds-Edmunds week but this Edmunds takes MOCKING to a new level.
We have a back fence which is nothing more than a back fence and needs jazzing up. A fresh coat of paint, or even a mural, I thought, before remembering I don’t have an artistic bone in my body. I could plant a climber of some sort but then an even better idea stopped by … what about an Espalier apple tree! My father had played around with one a long time ago and it was often admired so I borrowed his Espalier bible – Espalier Fruit Trees, Their History And Culture, by Alan Edmunds.
You have to love the chap who, in his foreword, writes this about his dedication to the art of Espalier: “The BACK garden is the Lovesome Thing, God wot!” (apologies to Thomas Edward Brown).
I worked my way through the book so I could decide if this was really the thing for my own back garden and I came across this little bonsai pic with a most astounding caption:
I read that caption and I thought, “What would Lockwood Smith say?”
In defence of my Dad, it was only recently from the time the book was published that the Japanese had made a supreme effort to take Australia by force. Unfortunately the Japanese atrocities during the war are well documented. Many paid the price post war in war trials. I am amazed to see this mind you. I inherited many copies in excellent condition. Dad was a Gallipoli veteran but also played a non combatant role during the second war.He was privvy to a lot of information which many ordinary citizens did not learn until much later. Dad was very bitter about the war, all wars he regarded as a terrible waste of human life. His favourite saying was, “Mans’ inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn”.. author unknown to me. Regards to all. Roy E.
Your espalier fruit trees book by Alan Edmunds looks interesting, is it for sale? If so, at what price?
Have a good day,
Peter
Hi Peter
It is a great book … belongs to my 86-year-old dad who won’t let it out of his sight. I think it may have been reprinted in the 1970s. let me have a look.
Cheers, Erin
My goodness, Peter, you are indeed the espalier master! If anyone would like to look check out this link to River Road Farms to view some really stunning work.
… and regarding the book. There was a reprint in a limited edition of 200 so they are as hard to find as the original printing. There doesn’t seem to be any available in the online databases though they will pop up occasionally on eBay (particularly ebay Australia). It is worth having a permanent search running and eBay will let you know when a copy is listed. Let me know if you don’t know how to do that and I’ll set one up for you.
All the best
~ Erin
Roy:
Any chance you’ve got a copy or two still available?
Hi Gordon,
I am sure I have some copies …somewhere in a safe place…I saved them from being thrown out after my mother had died.
My mother incidentally had relatives in New Zealand…my great grandmother was in Christchurch I believe. Rennell.
cheers,
Roy E.
my email address is roy_edmunds@hotmail.com